sandfly fever

noun

: a virus disease of brief duration that is characterized by fever, headache, eye pain, malaise, and leukopenia and that is caused by either of two bunyaviruses (species Naples phlebovirus and Sicilian phlebovirus of the genus Phlebovirus) transmitted by the bite of a sand fly (especially Phlebotomus papatasii)

called also phlebotomus fever

Examples of sandfly fever in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The common quail was suspected as an unknown reservoir of Toscana virus and sandfly fever Sicilian virus. —Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

sandfly fever

noun

sand·​fly fever ˌsan(d)-ˌflī- 

: a virus disease of brief duration that is characterized by fever, headache, pain in the eyes, malaise, and leukopenia and is caused by a bunyavirus of the genus Phlebovirus (especially species Naples phlebovirus and species Sicilian phlebovirus) transmitted by the bite of a sand fly of the genus Phlebotomus (especially P. papatasii)

called also pappataci fever, phlebotomus fever