“Arbovirus,” short for arthropod-borne virus, doesn't refer to one particular virus. Rather, it refers to a type of virus transmitted via insects that bite and feed on ...WhatIsArbovirusandHowItTreated?MedicallyreviewedbyStacySampson,D.O.—WrittenbyAnnPietrangelo—UpdatedonOctober18,2017RiskfactorsSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentOutlookVaccinationPreventionWhatisanarbovirus?“Arbovirus,”shortforarthropod-bornevirus,doesn’trefertooneparticularvirus.Rather,itreferstoatypeofvirustransmittedviainsectsthatbiteandfeedonblood.Thisincludesalargefamilyofviruses.Infact,thereareover600knownarboviruses,andmorethan80ofthemareknownhumanpathogens.Theresultingillnessescanrangefrommildtosevere.Onaglobalscale,denguevirusmaybethemostchallenging,infecting100to390millionpeopleandleadingto12,500deathsperyear.Itspreadsmostlythroughmosquitosinunderdeveloped,highlypopulatedregions.Someotherarbovirusescanleadto:ChikungunyafeverColoradotickfeverEasternequineencephalitisJapaneseBencephalitisLaCrosseencephalitisPowassanvirusinfectionSt.LouisencephalitisWestNilevirusinfectionWesternequineencephalitisyellowfeverZikavirusdiseaseManyotherseriousdiseases,suchasmalaria,Lymedisease,andRockyMountainspottedfeverarespreadthroughinsects.Butbecausethey’renotviralinfections,theydon’tfallintothesamecategory.Who’satriskBlood-suckinginsects,suchasmosquitos,pickupvirusesfrombirdsorotherhostanimals.Thevirusreplicatesinsidetheinsect,butitdoesn’tcauseillnesstotheinsect.Theinsectcarriesitaroundasitlooksforitsnextmeal.Youbecomeinfectedwhentheinsectbitesyou.Mostarbovirusesaren’ttransmittedfrompersontoperson,usuallymakinghumansdead-endhosts.Afewexceptionsaredenguefeverandyellowfever,whichcanbetransmittedfrompersontopersonthroughinsectbites.Some,suchasWestNilevirus,Coloradotickfever,anddenguemaybespreadthroughbloodproducttransfusionsororgandonation.Anyonecancontractanarbovirus,nomatterwheretheylive.Yourriskmaybeincreasedif:youliveinortraveltoamosquito-ortick-infestedareawhereoutbreakstendtooccurit’smosquitoseasonyouhaveacomprom