December 2, 2003
From: EPPO Reporting Service 2003, No. 9 [edited]

2003/132 Situation of Pepino mosaic potexvirus in EPPO countries

As Pepino mosaic potexvirus (PepMV - EPPO Alert List) is causing a new disease of tomato which is spreading in the EPPO region, the EPPO Secretariat send a questionnaire to all its member countries to review the present situation. Results of the questionnaire were discussed by the EPPO Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations. The EPPO Secretariat has summarized below the answers received. When countries have stated the pest status, it is indicated in bold [on the EPPO website]. In other cases, the EPPO Secretariat has summarized the pest situation according to the terms of FAO ISPM no 8.

Algeria
Pest status: Absent, no pest record.

Belgium
Pest status: Absent, found in 2001/2002 at 2 production sites of tomato fruits and eliminated; never been found in nurseries producing tomato plants for planting. Under Commission Decision 2001/536/EC, a survey for PepMV presence was done from 2001-02-01 to 2002-09-30. All collected samples were tested at CRA Gembloux (ELISA-test). During quality inspections at tomato auctions, special attention was paid to the presence of suspicious symptoms. 3 fruit suspicious samples were investigated further and 1 of them was positive.
Strict hygienic measures were imposed. Of 39 production units of tomatoes, positive samples were found on 2 premises. Strict hygienic measures were imposed and no further infected samples were found. No PepMV was detected in weekly inspections of 212 transplant samples.

Denmark
Pest status: Absent, no longer found. Found in 2001 and 2002, each year in one nursery of tomato fruits, but not found in 2003. No PepMV was detected in a survey during 2003 of nurseries producing tomato plants and tomato fruits. Found in 2001 and 2002 each year in one nursery (not the same) producing tomato fruits.

Estonia
Pest status: Absent, confirmed by survey. In 2002, tomato plants from 6 districts were inspected and 18 samples were tested on site for PepMV using 'pocket diagnostic kits'. No PepMV was detected.

France
Pest status: Present, under official control. Under Commission Decision 2003/64/EC, a national survey of tomato crops was set up. During summer 2002, one outbreak of PepMV was detected in one glasshouse producing tomato fruits in the 'Centre' region. Early in 2003, new outbreaks were detected in tomato fruits from production glasshouses in Bretagne. The origin of these outbreaks was attributed to the importation of one infected seed lot from another EU Member State. Compulsory control measures were applied, including prophylactic measures at infected premises.

Germany
Pest status: Present, only in 1 site, under protected cultivation. Transient, actionable, under eradication. There have been 4 outbreaks of PepMV since 1999 in German tomato-producing companies which have been reported to EPPO earlier. No PepMV has been detected to date, although the survey for 2003 has not been completed.  Nevertheless, one of the companies that was found to be infested last year proved to be infested again in 2003. Symptoms were rare and the economic impact was considered to be low. To determine further possible economic effects of PepMV on tomato yield, a ring test was conducted in 2002, with the participation of Germany, Spain, Netherlands and United Kingdom. The preliminary results of this ring test indicate a moderate effect of this virus on the tomato crop.

Guernsey
Pest status: Absent, confirmed by survey. All commercial tomato glasshouse crops were checked in 2003 and no PepMV was detected. PepMV has never been found on a growing crop in Guernsey. Monitoring of imported fruits for signs of the virus is continuing. Interceptions have been significantly less than in 2002. All infected fruits were destroyed.

Hungary
Pest status: PepMV is considered to be absent in Hungary. Tomato crops in the main glasshouse area of the country were surveyed in 2002. ELISA testing of randomly sampled tomato plants yielded only negative results. This survey was continued in 2003. PepMV is considered to be absent in Hungary. PepMV is not listed on the Hungarian quarantine list.

Ireland
Pest status: Absent, found once in 2002 at one production site and eliminated. PepMV was found at one production site late in 2002. The infected plants were disposed of by deep burial, the production house was disinfected and left idle for 3 weeks.

Jersey
Pest status: Absent, no pest record. Not recorded on growing plants in Jersey, but identified on imported tomato fruits from Spain (including Islas Canarias). Consignments with positive identification were destroyed. All imported tomatoes are inspected at port of entry by Plant Health Inspectors.

Latvia
Pest status: Absent, no pest record. Surveys started in 2003 and PepMV was not found.

Lithuania
Pest status: Absent, confirmed by surveys. National surveys for presence of PepMV have been conducted since 2001. In 2001, no PepMV was detected in 180 samples of tomatoes (corresponding to 2.74 ha), 28 samples of capsicum (0.8 ha) and 2 samples of aubergine (0.2 ha). In 2002, 685 samples of tomatoes (15.369 ha) and 140 samples of cucumber (1.04 ha) were tested and found free. PepMV was detected in 2002 on tomato plants imported from Spain and the Netherlands. In 2003, surveys continued but PepMV has not been detected in national production or on imported tomatoes.

Malta
Pest status: Absent, confirmed by survey. Over the past year, a survey for the presence of PepMV covering the whole Maltese archipelago was conducted. No PepMV infection was detected.

Netherlands
Pest status: Present, found at a few production sites of tomato fruits, never found in nurseries producing tomato plants for planting. Results of surveys and research done in the Netherlands are the following:

1. Survey of tomato fruit-producing companies: A survey was conducted at tomato production sites throughout the country. From June to September 2002, tomato crops (leaves and fruits) were inspected for symptoms and samples were collected When symptoms were present, samples of shoots and, if applicable, fruits were taken from the plant. When no symptoms were found on the crop, leaf samples were taken from 10 plants at random in the glasshouse. All samples were sent to the Plant Protection Service in Wageningen and tested by ELISA. 101 randomly selected tomato production sites were visited, of which 35 were PepMV-infected. At 7 tomato production sites, symptoms were observed and the presence of PepMV was confirmed by testing. At the other 94 production sites, leaf samples were taken at random and in 28 of these production sites PepMV was detected by testing. The sources of infection remain unclear. 

2. Inspection and testing of nurseries: All 27 nurseries of the Netherlands producing tomato plants were visually inspected every 2 weeks by the Naktuinbouw from October 2001 until September 2002. Suspected plants were observed and tested by ELISA. In addition, random leaf samples were taken at each nursery every 2 weeks and tested by ELISA. 250 inspections were carried out in these nurseries and 75,000 plant samples were tested by ELISA. No symptoms of PepMV were observed during these inspections. All ELISA tests were negative. No nursery was found infected by PepMV.

Norway
Pest status: Absent. Found once in 2001 and eradicated. In March 2001, PepMV was found in only one case in a glasshouse producing tomato fruit near Stavanger, the main tomato-producing area. Eradication measures were carried out, involving destruction of all plant material and growing media, and disinfection of the glasshouses. Surveys were carried out in 19 other tomato production sites in the area, but no PepMV was detected, nor was the source of infection identified. The outbreak was considered successfully eradicated in April 2001. PepMV has not been found since this outbreak.

Poland
Pest status: Absent, found once in 2001 on 2 tomato plants at a research station, eradicated. PepMV was found in 2001 at the Research Centre for Cultivar Testing in Slupia Wielka on 2 plants of glasshouse tomato of Dutch cultivar which were subject to variety testing (DUS: distinctness, uniformity, stability). Circumstantial evidence suggests that the source of the contamination was of foreign origin. Phytosanitary measures were taken and infected plants were removed and destroyed. This was the 1st and only case of PepMV occurrence in Poland.

Portugal
Pest status: Absent, confirmed by survey. A survey program for PepMV has been implemented since 1999, in the main tomato-producing areas of the country. The program includes phytosanitary inspection of plant nurseries, and tomato production fields. In the last 3 years 1151 samples were collected and 1608 lab tests performed. No PepMV was detected.

Slovenia
Pest status: Absent, confirmed by survey. PepMV was surveyed in protected tomato crops in 2002. The phytosanitary inspection service inspected 52 glasshouses for visual symptoms and took 18 samples of tomato showing leaf distortion, chlorosis or mosaic. Samples were tested by DAS-ELISA with a commercial antiserum obtained from Plant Research International, Wageningen, NL. All samples tested negative for PepMV. In 2001, no PepMV was detected in 51 tomato plants and some weed species.

Spain
Pest status: Present, found in Andalucia, Galicia, Communidad Valenciana and Murcia. PepMV was detected in Spain in 2000. According to Commission Decision 2001/536, surveys were done. During 2001/2002, 5070 samples were tested and 377 tested positive for PepMV. Positive samples were collected from Andalucia (135 samples from Almeria province), Galicia (59 samples from the provinces of Coruna, and Lugo y Pondevedra), Comunidad Valenciana (35 samples from the provinces of Alicante and Valencia), and Murcia (148 samples) [Not found in Baleares - but no data was given for Islas Canarias]. There were some instances concerning product quality. But the general economic impact in Spanish conditions is small. When figures of tomato production were compared before and after the appearance of the virus, losses were not considered significant.

Turkey
Pest status: PepMV has not been found in Turkey. Absent, no pest records. 

United Kingdom
Pest status: Present, found in 2002 at 3 production sites of tomato fruits (in England: north-west, north-east, south), under official control. There were 3 outbreaks in 2003, all in glasshouses producing tomatoes for consumption -- one in northwest England, one in the northeast, and one in the south.  Different cultivars were infected in each case.  All outbreaks are subject to official control measures aimed at containing the outbreak. These measures include strict hygiene precautions and restrictions on marketing of fruit. The NPPO continues to look for infected fruits in trade and restrict movement of such fruits to ensure that they do not go to tomato production or plant propagation premises.  Limited resources and the strong focus on  _Phytophthora ramorum_ mean that the level of inspection work on tomatoes is much lower than in previous years. Research into the risks posed by this disease, including its economic impact, is continuing, with a commercial scale trial due to report late in the year.  Whilst the impact on yield appears variable, with little impact on yield reported in some cases, the principal impact seems to be on quality, with a reduction in production of top-quality fruit. The UK industry is dependent on production of top-quality tomato fruit and lacks alternative outlets; a reduction in quality therefore has a significant economic impact. 

Ukraine
Pest status: Absent, no pest record. PepMV has never been found in Ukraine.

Source: NPPOs of EPPO member countries
EPPO Secretariat, 2003-09.