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Sandfly fever virus outbreak in Cyprus.
A Papa1, G Konstantinou, V Pavlidou
1A' Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. annap@med.auth.gr
Summary
A 2002 febrile illness outbreak in Cyprus was caused by a Sicilian-like phlebovirus. Genetic analysis confirmed a distinct new virus strain, differing by 6.7% from the known Sicilian virus.
Area of Science:
- * Virology
- * Epidemiology
- * Molecular Biology
Background:
- * A significant outbreak of febrile syndrome affected Greek Army forces in Cyprus in 2002.
- * Phleboviruses are known to cause febrile illnesses, with some strains transmitted by sandflies.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To identify the causative agent of the 2002 febrile syndrome outbreak in Cyprus.
- * To characterize the isolated virus strain through molecular and phylogenetic analyses.
Main Methods:
- * Serological and molecular investigations were conducted on patient samples.
- * A virus strain was isolated from a blood sample obtained on the first day of illness.
- * Phylogenetic analysis was performed on partial L RNA segment sequences.
Main Results:
- * Investigations identified a Sicilian-like phlebovirus as the etiological agent.
- * A distinct virus strain was successfully isolated from a patient.
- * Phylogenetic analysis showed the Cyprus strain differed by 6.7% at the nucleotide level from sandfly Sicilian virus.
Conclusions:
- * The 2002 outbreak was caused by a novel Sicilian-like phlebovirus strain.
- * This finding highlights the potential for phlebovirus emergence in new geographic regions.
- * Further research is warranted to understand the virus's transmission and pathogenicity.