CORRECTION issued by ISID on June 7, 2019
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus is NOT present in Belgium
A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
In this posting:
[1] Belgium
[2] Netherlands
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[1] Belgium
Date: Fri 8 Mar 2019
Source: The Ipswich Star [edited]
<https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/sterling-suffolk-tomato-operation-imposes-restrictions-1-5926015>
A new giant tomato operation, Sterling Suffolk [SS], based at Ipswich is restricting access to its site in the wake of the worldwide spread of a plant disease. Although _Tomato brown rugose fruit virus_ hasn't reached the UK's shores, it has recently been detected as far north as Belgium, said Richard Lewis, SS.
The hi-tech glasshouses, inside which a quarter of a million tomato plants were planted in December 2018, shut its doors on March 6 and put in place precautionary restrictions to prevent the spread of the disease [by] those travelling from other tomato operations.
[Byline: Sarah Chambers]
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Communicated by: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
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[2] Netherlands
Date: Thu 14 Mar 2019
Source: GFactueel [in Dutch, machine transl., summ. Mod.DHA, edited] <https://www.gfactueel.nl/Glas/Nieuws/2019/3/Uitbraak-ToBRFV-in-Nederland-404408E/>
Various sources independently confirm ToBRFV infection in Westland province. The company is a member of the same producer organisation as a company where suspicious symptoms were observed last [2018] autumn.
ToBRFV was also found at a tomato company in Middenmeer province. This company is a member of another producer organisation. ToBRFV was already present at Venlo, Limburg province.
In the last 30 years there has been no virus with such a high risk profile as ToBRFV for tomato cultivation and the discovery causes a lot of concern. Producer organisations are currently discussing how to deal with this outbreak. A specific hygiene protocol will be announced shortly.
ToBRFV is highly contagious and transmissible in many ways (also by bumblebees). It can survive for a long time outside the plant, on smooth surfaces or tools. Specific disinfectants are needed, in Germany sodium hypochlorite and benzoic acid are used.
[Byline: Gerard Boonekamp]
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Communicated by:
IBIS (International Biosecurity Intelligence System) <https://ibisbiosecurity.org/>
[_Tomato brown rugose fruit virus_ (ToBRFV) was identified as a new member of genus _Tobamovirus_ (type species _Tobacco mosaic virus_,
TMV) in Jordan after a new disease of glasshouse tomatoes occurred there in 2015. Since then, it has been identified in Israel, the Americas (Mexico, USA), previously in Europe in Germany and Italy (ProMED-mail post http://promedmail.org/post/20190117.6264517), and was shown to affect also capsicum crops. It has recently been added to the EPPO (European Plant Protection Organisation) alert list.
ToBRFV symptoms on tomato vary depending on host cultivar, but they may include chlorosis, mottling, mosaic and crinkling (rugosis) on leaves; necrotic spots on petioles and calyces; yellowish mottling, brown spots and rugosis on fruit making them unmarketable. On capsicum, leaf symptoms are similar, fruits may be deformed with yellow mottling or green stripes. Almost 100 percent incidence was reported for some outbreaks in tomato, but not every fruit on an infected plant may show symptoms. The Tm-22 resistance gene used in some tomato cultivars to protect from other tobamoviruses (such as _Tomato mosaic virus_, TMV) does not appear to be effective against ToBRFV.
ToBRFV (like many tobamoviruses) is seed transmitted and can also be spread by mechanical means (human and insect activities), contaminated equipment, as well as with plant or other materials. Volunteer crop plants and solanaceous weed species are likely pathogen reservoirs.
Disease management relies mainly on exclusion but may include phytosanitation (disinfecting tools, removing crop debris) and control of virus reservoirs. Use of certified clean seeds or tomato transplants is crucial.
Among the seed-borne viruses, tobamoviruses are currently considered a risk for crop production worldwide due to increasing global seed trade (see link below). For some species, seed coat surface sterilisation is effective in preventing transmission to new seedlings, suggesting that these viruses are carried on the outside of seeds. However, for some species such as _Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus_, surface sterilisation of seeds does not seem to prevent transmission, suggesting these viruses may be carried within the endosperm since seed-transmitted tobamoviruses are thought to be absent from embryos.
Tomato seeds are traded widely and are known to pose a risk for spreading viruses and other pathogens (e.g. pospiviroids, ProMED-mail post http://promedmail.org/post/20140122.2222560) internationally, thus work to assess a potential quarantine risk posed by the new ToBRFV is needed.
Maps
Belgium:
<https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0235/2253/products/1_ac000fb9-4bf3-4f83-8e36-7c8aeb7780ed_1024x1024.png?v=1500029614>
Netherlands (with provinces):
<http://www.ezilon.com/maps/images/europe/physical-map-of-Netherlands.gif>
Europe, overview:
<https://mapofeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/europe-political-map.jpg>
Pictures
ToBRFV symptoms:
<https://gd.eppo.int/media/data/taxon/T/TOBRFV/pics/1024x0/4137.jpg>,
<https://gd.eppo.int/media/data/taxon/T/TOBRFV/pics/1024x0/4138.jpg>,
<https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0170429.g001>
and
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321639141/figure/fig2/AS:569722670247937@1512843877331/Tomato-brown-rugose-fruit-virus-ToBRFV-infected-tomato-Solanum-lycopersicum-plants.png>
Links
Additional news stories:
<https://www.hortidaily.com/article/9079340/prevention-is-the-best-defence-for-tobrfv/>
and
<http://www.fruitnet.com/fpj/article/178085/devastating-virus-threatens-tomato-industry>
Information and characterisation of ToBRFV:
<https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00705-015-2677-7>
(Jordan),
<https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0170429>
(Israel),
<https://www.eppo.int/ACTIVITIES/plant_quarantine/alert_list_viruses/tomato_brown_rugose_fruit_virus>,
<https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/TOBRFV> (with current distribution map), <https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0170429>
and via
<https://www.semanticscholar.org/topic/Tomato-brown-rugose-fruit-virus/3579397>
International spread of tobamoviruses by seeds (review):
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321639141_Seed_Transmission_of_Tobamoviruses_Aspects_of_Global_Disease_Distribution>
EPPO alert list:
<https://www.eppo.int/ACTIVITIES/plant_quarantine/alert_list>
- Mod.DHA
HealthMap/ProMED maps available at:
Belgium: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/99>
Netherlands: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/104>]
[See Also:
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus - Germany: 1st rep (NW)
http://promedmail.org/post/20190117.6264517
2018
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Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus, melon - New Zealand ex Australia:
intercept http://promedmail.org/post/20180903.6005465
2017
----
Crop diseases - Philippines: (Cordilleras region) survey
http://promedmail.org/post/20170718.5185031
2016
----
Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus - Australia: (WA)
http://promedmail.org/post/20160728.4375420
2015
----
Tomato mosaic virus - Israel: (Negev)
http://promedmail.org/post/20151015.3717154
2014
----
Potato spindle tuber viroid, tomato seed: international spread
http://promedmail.org/post/20140122.2222560
and additional items on tobamoviruses in the archives]
Topics
Species
