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

Abstract

The U.S. Air Force conducts vector and arbovirus surveillance worldwide. We report on two Rhabdoviridae detected at Holloman Air Force Base in Otero County, New Mexico including the nearly complete 11-kb genome of Merida virus, which was not previously known from the USA, and a novel virus tentatively named Dillard's Draw virus. Merida virus was previously only known from Mexico. Dillard's Draw virus represents a novel arbovirus most closely related to an avian pathogen from Australia and shares some genetic similarity to Durham virus from the eastern United States.

2021 Taxonomic update of phylum Negarnaviricota (Riboviria: Orthornavirae), including the large orders Bunyavirales and Mononegavirales

“…Genus Sunrhavirus was expanded by one species, Dillard sunrhavirus, for Dillard's Draw virus (DDRV), discovered by HTS in culicid mosquitoes (Culex tarsalis Linnaeus, 1758) sampled in New Mexico, USA [82] (TaxoProp 2020.008M.A.v1.Sunrhavirus_1nsp).…”

Genome Characterization of Bird-Related Rhabdoviruses Circulating in Africa

“…Two other phylogroups were also observed in this genus, with the phylogroup Clade II closely related to Clade III and encompassing two viruses (HDV and WCV) which were isolated from insects in Australia, in addition to SUNV, which was isolated in Uganda from a chicken [12]. Lastly, the phylogroup Clade I included three sunrhaviruses found in insects of American and Australian origin [1,19,37]. All together, these results demonstrate the high genetic diversity within the Sunrhavirus genus, which potentially includes now 14 members from three main geographical areas, namely Africa, America, and Australia.…”

“…Their precise functions remain unknown, although it has been speculated that they could enhance transcriptional activity or act in viral pathogenesis [34]. The small hydrophobic proteins SH are encoded as additional transcriptional units between the M and the G genes for all the sunrhaviruses described so far [1,12,17,19,37]. In addition, similar proteins (coded also as additional transcriptional units between the M and the G genes) have been described for the members of the Tupavirus genus, including DURV [11], KLAV [1], and TUPV [38], and more distantly genetically for the members of Sripuvirus genus [1].…”