An arbovirus is a virus that is carried and transmitted by an arthropod such as a mosquito, spider, tick, mite, millipede or sandfly when the arthropod bites or feeds on a human. The virus multiplies in the human body and the person becomes ill with an arbovirus infection.
The most common arbovirus infections in Africa include the West Nile virus, sindbis virus, yellow fever virus, dengue virus, chikungunya virus and Rift Valley virus.