EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 01 - 1997 Num. article: 1997/18

A new closterovirus transmitted by Bemisia tabaci: lettuce chlorosis closterovirus


In the southwest desert regions of USA, a new virus disease was observed on lettuce, sugarbeet, several other crops and weeds (but not on Cucurbitaceae). On lettuce and sugarbeet, symptoms are characterized by interveinal yellowing, stunting, rolling and brittleness of affected leaves. A new closterovirus, different from lettuce infectious yellows closterovirus (EPPO A1 quarantine pest), has been isolated from diseased plants and called lettuce chlorosis closterovirus. It is transmitted by both A and B biotypes of Bemisia tabaci (EPPO A2 quarantine pest). The authors noted that since 1990, yellowing symptoms observed on lettuce and sugarbeet have been shown to be induced by a mixture of lettuce infectious yellows and lettuce chlorosis closteroviruses.

Sources

Duffus, J.E.; Liu, H.Y.; Wisler, G.C.; Li, R. (1996) Lettuce chlorosis virus - A new whitefly-transmitted closterovirus.
European Journal of Plant Pathology, 102(6), 591-596.