[A natural focus of sandfly fever in the Republic of Afghanistan].

The serological study of persons contacting dengue-like fever in 1987 in Afghanistan (in Rukha, Parwān Province) revealed that in 74% of cases an increase in the titers of antibodies to Sicilian and Neapolitan sandfly [correction of mosquito-borne] fever viruses was registered. Considering that such diseases appeared here for a number of years and were linked in time with the activity of sandflies [correction of mosquitoes] of the species Phlebotomus papatasii, the suggestion was made on the existence of a stable natural focus of sandfly [correction of mosquito-borne] fevers in the region of Rukha.