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Sandfly-fever outbreak in Cyprus: are phleboviruses still a health problem?

G N Konstantinou1, A Papa, A Antoniadis

  • 1Internal Medicine Department, 401 General Military Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece. georgenk@med.auth.gr

Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
|June 19, 2007
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

A sandfly fever Sicilian virus outbreak caused a brief febrile illness in 256 soldiers in Cyprus. Symptoms included fever, body aches, and fatigue, with leucopenia and elevated aminotransferases observed in lab tests.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Entomology
  • Virology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • A cohort of 256 Greek Army soldiers stationed in Cyprus experienced a sudden onset of a 3-day febrile illness between May and September 2002.
  • The illness presented with a range of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings that warranted further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the causative agent of the febrile illness outbreak among soldiers in Cyprus.
  • To describe the clinical and laboratory characteristics of the illness.

Main Methods:

  • Blood samples were collected from infected individuals.
  • Isolation and identification of the etiological agent using laboratory techniques.
  • Clinical symptoms and laboratory findings were systematically recorded and analyzed.

Main Results:

  • A Cypriot strain of sandfly fever Sicilian virus (genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae) was identified as the responsible agent.
  • Infected individuals presented with abrupt high fever, arthralgias, myalgias, headache, and lower back pain, followed by asthenia.
  • Key laboratory findings included leucopenia, monocytosis in blood smears, and mild elevations in aminotransferases.

Conclusions:

  • Sandfly fever Sicilian virus was confirmed as the cause of the 3-day febrile syndrome in non-immune soldiers.
  • Clinicians should consider sandfly fever in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with similar symptoms, particularly those with recent travel history to Cyprus or other Mediterranean regions during the sandfly season.

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