Characterization of Novel and Known Viral Genomes Associated with Mosquitoes in the Yucatán Peninsula
Mosquitoes are the main vectors of arboviruses, which cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In recent years, metagenomic approaches have accelerated the discovery of new viruses associated with mosquitoes, including insect-specific viruses (ISVs), that replicate exclusively in mosquito hosts. Despite this progress, the virome of mosquito populations in many regions remains poorly characterized. In this study, we analyzed mosquito samples collected from different locations in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, using metagenomic sequencing to identify and characterize viral genomes. We found five viral genomes previously undescribed viruses suffix PYMEX, and ten corresponding to known mosquito-associated viruses. These include Rhabdoviridae (Guadeloupe Culex rhabdovirus and Aedes serratus 1 PYMEX virus), Hubei virga-like virus 2 and Culex pipiens-associated Tunisia virus. In addition,  Picornavirales (Culex coronator 2 PYMEX virus), Xinmoviridae (Anopheles crucians PYMEX virus and Mononegavirales (Guadeloupe mosquito mononega-like virus). Our results contribute to new mosquito-associated viruses and provide new genomic data that may support future studies on virus evolution, host-virus interactions, and the potential influence of ISVs on arbovirus transmission dynamics and highlighting underscores the need for ongoing surveillance and control strategies to mitigate the risk of emerging infectious diseases.