Pappataci fever

Pappataci fever
Classification and external resources
Specialty	infectious disease
ICD-10	A93.1
ICD-9-CM	066.0
MeSH	D010217
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Pappataci fever (also known as Phlebotomus fever and, somewhat confusingly, sandfly fever and three-day fever) is a vector-borne febrile arboviral infection caused by three serotypes of Phlebovirus. It occurs in subtropical regions of the Eastern Hemisphere. The name, pappataci fever, comes from the Italian word for sandfly, it is the union of the word "pappa" (food) and taci (silent) which distinguishes these insects from blood-feeding mosquitoes, which produce a typical noise while flying.

A few days after the infective bite, a feeling of lassitude, abdominal distress and chills develop followed by fever of 39 °C to 40 °C, severe frontal headaches, muscle and joint aches, flushing of the face and a fast heart rate. After two days the fever begins to subside and the temperature returns to normal. Fatigue, a slow heart rate and low blood pressure may persist from few days to several weeks but complete recovery is the rule.

Three serotypes of Phlebovirus are known as the causative agents: Naples virus, Sicilian virus and Toscana virus.

Although commercial tests are not readily available, diagnosis can be confirmed by serology-based assays or quantitative PCR by laboratories that have developed assays to perform such identification.

Prevention of sandfly bites, and control of sandflies and their breeding grounds with insecticides are the principal methods for prevention. Mosquito nets may not be sufficient to prevent sandfly bites.

There is no specific treatment for the disease. Pain killers and fluid replacement may be useful.

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