A total of 1,497 serum and blood specimens from residents of 18 different Iranian communities were examined by plaque reduction neutralization test for antibodies against four (Neaples, Sicilian, Karimabad and Salehabad) Phlebotomus fever virus serotypes. Neutralizing antibodies against the Naples and Sicilian serotypes were found in every community sampled, indicating that these viruses are widely distributed in the country. In contrast, Karimabad antibodies were restricted mainly to residents of Isfahan, Tehran and Khorassan Provinces. No evidence of human infection with Salehabad virus was found. Results of this study indicate that the frequency of human infection with Phlebotomus fever viruses is high in Iran. The symptoms of sand fly fever are also reviewed.
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