First report and eradication of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in Romania
The NPPO of Romania recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the occurrence of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (Tobamovirus fructirugosum, ToBRFV – EPPO A2 List) on its territory. ToBRFV was first detected in March 2024 in the county of Arad (western part of Romania) as part of an official survey. The virus was detected in a greenhouse (200 m²) in asymptomatic seedlings of aubergine (Solanum melongena) which had been grown from seeds originating in Thailand. Phytosanitary measures according to EU Regulation 2023/1032 were applied: all S. melongena plants were destroyed, and tools and other materials were disinfected. An investigation was conducted to determine the origin of the outbreak: seeds of the same batch were tested and were found to be negative. It is concluded that ToBRFV infection may be linked to the re-use of undisinfected plastic alveoli that had been used to produce Solanum lycopersicum seedlings in the previous year.
The pest status of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in Romania is officially declared as follows: Absent, pest eradicated.
EPPO note: The EPPO Secretariat notes that prior to this report S. melongena has been considered as a doubtful host of ToBRFV, as there were no reports of natural infection and several scientific articles reported failure in infesting aubergine plants in inoculation trials.
Sources
NPPO of Romania (2024-04, 2024-05).
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1032 of 25 May 2023 establishing measures to prevent the introduction into and the spread within the Union territory of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1191, OJ L 139. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2023/1032/oj