Novel quaranjavirus and other viral sequences identified from ticks parasitizing hunted wildlife in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

Hunters are at a higher risk for exposure to zoonotic pathogens due to their close interactions with wildlife and arthropod vectors. In this study, high throughput sequencing was used to explore the viromes of two tick species, Amblyomma dissimile and Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, removed from hunted wildlife in Trinidad and Tobago. We identified sequences from 3 new viral species, from the viral families Orthomyxoviridae, Chuviridae and Tetraviridae in A. dissimile.

Keywords: High throughput sequencing; Hunters; Orthomyxoviridae; Quaranjavirus; Tick-borne diseases; Trinidad and Tobago.