First report of pepper whitefly-borne vein yellows virus in Spain and in Europe
Pepper whitefly-borne vein yellows virus (Polerovirus PEWBVYV - PeWBVYV) is a newly described virus species in the genus Polerovirus. It was first described in 2016 in Israel on pepper (Capsicum spp.) in the Jordan valley and later in the northern coastal area where it has caused heavy losses in bell pepper cultivation. Symptoms are similar to those caused by other pepper-infecting Polerovirus species (pepper vein yellows viruses 1-6, such as PeVYV-2 which occurs in Israel) and include discoloration of the fruit, reduction in fruit size and change in fruit shape, insipid fruit taste, leaf yellowing. In severe cases, fruits are not marketable.
Whereas pepper vein yellows viruses are transmitted by aphids, PeWBVYV has been shown to be transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae - EPPO A2 List), specifically by the MEAM1 species of the species complex (and not by the MED species).
In January 2024 viral symptoms were observed in greenhouses producing pepper fruit in Almeria (Spain), in the absence of aphid vectors. Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of PeVYV and PeWBVYV in a mixed infection. This is the first record of PeWBVYV outside of Israel. As of March 2025, it is estimated that about 1000 ha of bell pepper crops in Spain are affected by this virus (out of 10000 ha in the area) in the municipalities of El Ejido, Roquetas de Mar, and Níjar.
Sources
Phytoma (2025-03-20) Aparece en Almería un nuevo virus transmitido por la mosca blanca https://www.phytoma.com/noticias/noticias-de-actualidad/aparece-en-almeria-un-nuevo-virus-transmitido-por-la-mosca-blanca.
Ghosh S, Kanakala S, Lebedev G, Kontsedalov S, Silverman D, Alon T, Mor N, Sela N, Luria N, Dombrovsky A, Mawassi M (2019) Transmission of a new polerovirus infecting pepper by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Journal of virology 93(15),10-128. https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00488-19
Ghosh S, Bello VH, Ghanim M (2021) Transmission parameters of pepper whitefly-borne vein yellows virus (PeWBVYV) by Bemisia tabaci and identification of an insect protein with a putative role in polerovirus transmission. Virology 560, 54-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2021.05.005