The virus was discovered in Palermo, Sicilia, Italy where it affected troops of the World War II Allied Army Forces after the 1943 Sicily landings.

[3] Treatment is supportive but ribavirin may be beneficial in severe or rapidly decompensating cases.

[3] The virus is found in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and parts of central and southern Asia, such as Italy, Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, Cyprus, Algeria, and Turkey.

The peak incidence occurs in warm months, especially August, when the Phlebotomus papatasi sandfly vectors, which transmit the virus during blood feeding, are most active.

One study has suggested that living near wastewater treatment facilities and the presence of livestock inside the home are risk factors for infection.