Details on Texas pepper begomovirus in Costa Rica
In 1997, severe leaf malformation and yellow mottle were observed on Capsicum frutescens cv. Tabasco and C. chinense cv. Habanero, on several farms in Perez Zeledon county, in Costa Rica. Levels of infection varied among farms, from 25 to 75 %. Bemisia tabaci (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) populations were present in affected fields, and preliminary studies showed that it could transmit the disease. Molecular analysis showed that the causal agent is a strain of Texas pepper begomovirus (EPPO Alert List). It is suggested that this virus may be more widespread in Central America than previously thought. Samples of Capsicum frutescens cv. Tabasco collected from farms in Honduras (near Tocoa, Santa Rita, El Progresso) showing symptoms of a viral disease were found infected by a virus which presented high sequence similarity (98 %) with Texas pepper begomovirus. It is concluded that Texas pepper begomovirus is a new threat for capsicum production in Central America.
Sources
Lotrakul, P.; Valverde, R.A.; De la Torre, R.; Sim, J. (2000) Occurrence of a strain of Texas pepper virus in Tabasco and Habanero pepper in Costa Rica.
Plant Disease, 84(2), 168-172.