Studies on the epidemiology of sandfly fever in Iran. I. Virus isolates obtained from Phlebotomus

A total of 62 virus isolates was obtained from 12,485 male and female sandflies (predominately Phlebotomus papatasi) collected in a village in central Iran during the summer of 1975. The overall virus isolation rate from female sandflies was 1 per 177 insects processed. Of the 62 virus strains obtained, 49 were identified as Sicilian virus, 11 as Karimabad, and 2 as a new member of the vesicular stomatitis serogroup. One isolate each of Sicilian and Karimabad virus was made from pools of male sandflies. The three virus types were active in the sandfly population simultaneously. Sicilian virus isolation rates showed little variation during the study period, suggesting continuous virus activity during the sandfly season. The implications of these findings for the epidemiology of sandfly fever are discussed.