title: An outbreak of acute febrile illness caused by Sandfly Fever Sicilian Virus in the Afar region of Ethiopia, 2011.
abstract: In malaria-endemic regions, many medical facilities have limited capacity to diagnose non-malarial etiologies of acute febrile illness (AFI). As a result, the etiology of AFI is seldom determined, although AFI remains a major cause of morbidity in developing countries. An outbreak of AFI was reported in the Afar region of Ethiopia in August of 2011. Retrospectively, 12,816 suspected AFI cases were identified by review of medical records. Symptoms were mild and self-limiting within 3 days after the date of onset; no fatalities were identified. All initial test results of AFI patient specimens were negative for selected pathogens using standard microbiological and molecular techniques. High-throughput sequencing of nucleic acid extracts of serum specimens from 29 AFI cases identified 17 (59%) of 29 samples as positive for Sandfly Fever Sicilian Virus (SFSV). These results were further confirmed by specific reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. This is the first study implicating SFSV as an etiological agent for AFI in Ethiopia.
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Abyot Bekele
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Woyessa
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Omballa
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia davewang@borcim.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Waiboci
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Workenesh
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ayele
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Abdi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Negga Asamene
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Abera
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Melvin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ochieng
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Joel M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Daddi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jima
authors.affiliation: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Global Disease Detection Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Departments of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Division of Vector-Borne Disease, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; Global Disease Detection Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fields
mesh_terms: D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016856:Phlebovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction