viruses Article Characterization of Viral Communities of Biting Midges and Identification of Novel Thogotovirus Species and Rhabdovirus Genus Sarah Temmam 1, Sonia Monteil-Bouchard 1, Catherine Robert 1, Jean-Pierre Baudoin 1, Masse Sambou 1, Maxence Aubadie-Ladrix 1, Noémie Labas 1, Didier Raoult 1,2, Oleg Mediannikov 1 and Christelle Desnues 1,* 1 Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63 CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille 13005, France;
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[email protected] (O.M.). 2 Fondation IHU Méditerranée Infection, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-Virologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Méditerranée Infection, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille 13005, France * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +33-0-491324630; Fax: +33-0-491387772 Academic Editors: Johnson Mak, Peter Walker and Marcus Thomas Gilbert Received: 21 October 2015; Accepted: 1 March 2016; Published: 11 March 2016 Abstract: More than two thirds of emerging viruses are of zoonotic origin, and among them RNA viruses represent the majority. Ceratopogonidae (genus Culicoides) are well-known vectors of several viruses responsible for epizooties (bluetongue, epizootic haemorrhagic disease, etc.). They are also vectors of the only known virus infecting humans: the Oropouche virus. Female midges usually feed on a variety of hosts, leading to possible transmission of emerging viruses from animals to humans.