Public health researchers have developed a new method to detect viruses by analyzing the waste produced by mosquitoes. This technique recently led to the discovery of a complete West Nile virus genome and the first known evidence of a Hedwig-like virus in the Americas. The study, led by entomologist Dana Price, an associate professor at the Center for Vector Biology in the Department of Entomology, was published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum. The method, nicknamed a "mosquito toilet," uses a 3D-printed funnel coated with a material that repels water, causing the mosquitoes' waste to slide into a collection tube for analysis. The researchers collected 100 wild Culex mosquitoes from a yard in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2021 and 2022. Each group of 50 mosquitoes was placed in a screened container over the funnel and fed a sugar solution. As the mosquitoes fed, they excreted waste, which collected in the tube. Scientists then used a technique called shotgun metagenomic sequencing to analyze the genetic material in the waste. This process allowed them to identify a complete, high-quality genome of the West Nile virus, which can cause severe neurological illness in humans. The virus was identified as the NY07 variant, previously found in the region. The study also uncovered evidence of a Hedwig-like virus, which had not been previously reported in the Americas. This virus was first identified in Europe in the tissue of snowy owls. The researchers are now collaborating with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to screen organ and tissue samples for the virus. In addition to these findings, the study identified several viruses that may be new to science, including a partiti-like virus, a picorna-like virus, and a possible new virus linked to single-celled parasites that infect mosquitoes. These viruses appear to primarily affect insects or microorganisms within them and are not known to cause human disease. The research is an initial step in developing a new tool for virus surveillance, but it is not intended to replace existing methods. The study examined mosquitoes in a controlled laboratory setting, and the presence of a virus in the waste does not confirm that the mosquito can transmit it. The waste could contain viruses infecting the mosquito itself, other organisms inside it, or even viruses that pass through it without causing harm. The team is now working on creating a field-ready trap that can collect mosquitoes and their waste, aiming to develop a system that can prepare samples, sequence genetic material, and send alerts in real time. If successful, this could provide a faster and more efficient way to monitor potential viral threats.