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.