What is "pappataci fever"

n. a mild viral disease transmitted by the bite of the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasii [syn: sandfly fever, phlebotomus]

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 distinguish these insect from mosquitoes which produce a typical noise while flying.