Sandfly Fever

Biting sandflies are known for transmitting leishmaniasis, but sandflies also transmit sandfly fever viruses that may disrupt military operations. Sandfly fever is caused by serotypes of the Phlebovirus genus (primarily the Naples, Sicilian, or Toscana serotypes). The illness is known colloquially as "three-day fever" and "papataci fever." The clinical course of the disease normally spans about 3 days, with patients exhibiting a prodromal phase consisting of fatigue, chills, abdominal pain, and possibly facial flushing and tachycardia. Disease onset is marked by hyperpyrexia, myalgia, and arthralgia. The incubation period is typically 3-5 days, with viremia in humans lasting typically less than 1 week. This manuscript describes sandfly appearance, behavior, and geographic distribution. It then lists comparable diseases for differential diagnosis. Finally, as no vaccine exists for the sandfly virus, it concludes with steps for preparation and prevention to prevent outbreaks from disrupting military operations.