Pattiyakumbura T, Ekanayake E, Arachchige N, Weerathunga A, Dasanayake D, Muthugala R. Emerging evidence of sand fly fever virus transmission in Sri Lanka. World J Virol 2026; 15(3): 121928 [DOI: 10.5501/wjv.121928]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Rohitha Muthugala, MD, Consultant, Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Research Institute, No. 527 Dr. Danister De Silva Mawatha, Colombo 00800, Western, Sri Lanka. rohithavm@yahoo.com
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Virology
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research-article
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Pattiyakumbura T, Ekanayake E, Arachchige N, Weerathunga A, Dasanayake D, Muthugala R. Emerging evidence of sand fly fever virus transmission in Sri Lanka. World J Virol 2026; 15(3): 121928 [DOI: 10.5501/wjv.121928]
Thulani Pattiyakumbura, Erandi Ekanayake, Rohitha Muthugala, Department of Virology, National Hospital Kandy, Kandy 20000, Central, Sri Lanka
Nipuni Arachchige, Achini Weerathunga, Rohitha Muthugala, Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Research Institute, Colombo 00800, Western, Sri Lanka
Dhanushka Dasanayake, Department of Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Colombo 00800, Western, Sri Lanka
Author contributions: Pattiyakumbura T conducted writing of initial draft; Pattiyakumbura T and Muthugala R had conceptualized the study; Ekanayake E conducted sample collection and screening of the samples; Arachchige N and Weerathunga A were involved in investigation and formal analysis; Dasanayake D has obtained funding and did project administration; Muthugala R had obtained clinical and laboratory data, reviewed and edit the manuscript; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI was not used for prepare, write or edit this manuscript.
Supported by Medical Research Institute Research Budget Project, No. 08/RC/2022.
Institutional review board statement: This study protocol was approved by the Research and Ethics Committee of the National Hospital Kandy, Kandy (No. NHK/ERC/13/2023) and Ethic Review Committee, Medical Research Institute Colombo (No. ERC/14/2022).
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was waivered due to retrospective nature of the study. Data was analyzed anonymously.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Data sharing statement: Preliminary is available with corresponding author and can be shared following reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Rohitha Muthugala, MD, Consultant, Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Research Institute, No. 527 Dr. Danister De Silva Mawatha, Colombo 00800, Western, Sri Lanka. rohithavm@yahoo.com
Received: April 7, 2026 Revised: June 9, 2026 Accepted: June 29, 2026 Published online: September 25, 2026 Processing time: 166 Days and 22.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Sand fly fever virus (SFFV) infection is an acute self-limiting febrile illness caused by Phleboviruses and transmitted by sand flies of the Phlebotomus species. Clinically, SFFV infection closely resembles acute dengue fever and specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose SSFV. In Sri Lanka, a certain proportion of clinically suspected dengue patients were negative for dengue by laboratory investigation. We conducted this study to detect other possible pathogens in a group of patients admitted to hospitals with clinically dengue like illness. Seven hundred and fifty-seven patients’ samples were tested and two samples were positive for immunoglobulin M antibodies against SFFV, indicating recent or acute infection. The clinical and laboratory features of these patients were similar to those of uncomplicated dengue fever. Both patients were tested negative for flavivirus, alphaviruses, hantaviruses and leptospirosis. This study provides the first evidence of SFFV infection in Sri Lanka. As dengue fever is highly endemic in the country, SFFV infections may often be misdiagnosed as dengue and remain undetected. Further studies on febrile patients and sand fly vectors are needed to determine the disease burden and support effective control measures.
