ABSTRACT
Arthropod-borne viral diseases; better known as arbovirus diseases; are more common than we think and are often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. More than 100 arboviruses causing human disease have been recognised worldwide. This presentation will provide a review of some of the arboviruses occurring in Southern Africa; and also some of the common diseases seen in travellers returning home from other African and overseas destinations. The clinical syndromes vary extensively; with signs and symptoms ranging from acute benign fevers of short duration to the very dramatic viral haemorrhagic fevers. The reservoirs and vectors of most viruses are well described; but even after years of extensive research there are still a few that remain elusive and pose great challenges for future study