Virome of neotropical Sabethes mosquitoes reveals two novel viruses in the Spiciviridae family.

The family Spiciviridae, belonging to the order Ghabrivirales, is currently composed of only one officially recognized genus, Spicivirus. However, metagenomic studies have revealed an increasing diversity of related viruses, suggesting that the current classification may underestimate their evolutionary complexity. In this context, the aim of the present study was to detect and characterize new viruses related to the Spiciviridae in the family Culicidae mosquitoes. A total of nineteen mosquito pools were sequenced and analyzed using metagenomic approaches and bioinformatics tools. Among these, two novel viruses were identified in four pools (S4, S11, S18, and S19), provisionally named Sabethes virus 1 (SV1) and Sabethes virus 2 (SV2). Phylogenetic inference revealed clades with strong statistical support and genetic divergences greater than 20% in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) protein. These findings contribute to a detailed analysis of the genomic diversity associated with Spiciviridae. Although Spicivirus is currently the only genus officially recognized, our results suggest the presence of viruses that may represent new taxonomic groupings not yet described by the ICTV.