Merida virus, a putative novel rhabdovirus discovered in Culex and Ochlerotatus spp. mosquitoes in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico

Abstract

Sequences corresponding to a putative, novel rhabdovirus [designated Merida virus (MERDV)]were initially detected in a pool of Culex quinquefasciatus collected in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The entire genome was sequenced, revealing 11 798 nt and five major ORFs, which encode the nucleoprotein (N), phosphoprotein (P), matrix protein (M), glycoprotein (G) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L). The deduced amino acid sequences of the N, G and L proteins have no more than 24, 38 and 43 % identity, respectively, to the corresponding sequences of all other known rhabdoviruses, whereas those of the P and M proteins have no significant identity with any sequences in GenBank and their identity is only suggested based on their genome position. Using specific reverse transcription-PCR assays established from the genome sequence, 27 571 C. quinquefasciatus which had been sorted in 728 pools were screened to assess the prevalence of MERDV in nature and 25 pools were found positive. The minimal infection rate (calculated as the number of positive mosquito pools per 1000 mosquitoes tested) was 0.9, and similar for both females and males. Screening another 140 pools of 5484 mosquitoes belonging to four other genera identified positive pools of Ochlerotatus spp. mosquitoes, indicating that the host range is not restricted to C. quinquefasciatus. Attempts to isolate MERDV in C6/36 and Vero cells were unsuccessful. In summary, we provide evidence that a previously undescribed rhabdovirus occurs in mosquitoes in Mexico.

Natural infection by Culex flavivirus in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes captured in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso Mid‐Western Brazil

“…Several closely related ISVs belonging to Rhabdoviridae comprise a phylogenetically divergent group and a major split between those infecting arthropods and other hosts (Bourhy et al , ; Vasilakis et al , ; Charles et al , ). This major phylogenetic division between Rhabdoviridae genera indicates that their biology is strongly influenced by mode of transmission and host species, as observed for other RNA viruses (Bourhy et al , ).…”

Genomes of viral isolates derived from different mosquitos species

“…During the past decade, advances in DNA sequencing technology have allowed the identification of a wide range of novel viruses associated with mosquitoes (Aguiar et al, 2015; Auguste et al, 2014; Bolling et al, 2015; Carissimo et al, 2016; Chandler et al, 2015; Charles et al, 2016; Cholleti et al, 2016; Coffey et al, 2014; Contreras-Gutierrez et al, 2017; Fauver et al, 2016; Frey et al, 2016; Li et al, 2015a; Li et al, 2015b; Nasar et al, 2012; Ng et al, 2011; Palacios et al, 2015; Pauvolid-Correa et al, 2016; Shi et al, 2015; Simmonds et al, 2017; Vasilakis et al, 2014a; Wang et al, 2015). We examine here, by electron microscopy and metagenomics analysis, 11 mosquito derived viral isolates from the extensive collection of the World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses (WRCEVA) (https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/wreceva), whose morphology indicated the likely presence of multi-segmented reoviruses.…”

Two Rhabdoviridae: Dillard's Draw virus, a putative new virus, and Merida virus from Culex tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae) in New Mexico, USA

“…Merida virus is an unclassified Rhabdoviridae recently described from Culex spp. in Mexico (Charles et al, 2016).…”