Viola phlebovirus is a novel Phlebotomus fever serogroup member identified in Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) longipalpis from Brazilian Pantanal.

Background: High throughput sequencing (HTS) boosted the discovery of novel viruses and new variants of known viruses. Here we investigated the presence of viruses in 12 pools of sand flies captured in three climatic periods in RAPELD grids at Rio Claro, Chapada dos Guimarães and at Pirizal, North Pantanal, Mato Grosso State, Midwestern Brazil by HTS, viral isolation of a putative Phlebovirus positive pool in Vero cells, RT-PCR and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Results: One pool containing three Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) longipalpis sand flies captured in the transitional climatic period in North Pantanal showed a tripartite genomic sequence of a putative novel Phlebovirus belonging to the phlebotomus fever serogroup.