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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
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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
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Word History
First Known Use
1910, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sandfly fever
Cite this Entry
“Sandfly fever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandfly%20fever. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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
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