Urgent Virus Question

[MJG]

I'm still not seeing much chance that the phal with presumably no open wounds could transmit to you cattleya with just a jostle of leaves -- if even that. I can't say 100% but I do think the risk is low. To your other question unfortunately I don't know what effect the Physan would have.

I hope and trust other on the board with weigh in on this quickly for you will more feedback. Hang in there.

[BrassavolaStars]

It is official. I am a lunatic. I just rubbed hand sanitizer over the cattleya. Then, I got worried that would damage the leaves and washed it off. I am crazy. It is too late for me.

[sam1147]

Well- No one can measure the risk you take unless you know the real value of your orchids.
Testing the plant will cost apx. 5-10$.

The calculation is then very simple.

[MJG]

Originally Posted by BrassavolaStars

It is official. I am a lunatic. I just rubbed hand sanitizer over the cattleya. Then, I got worried that would damage the leaves and washed it off. I am crazy. It is too late for me.

You are not a lunatic, just panicked. We all get that way over different things. The catt at this point is best left alone. Just treat him like you normally do. He's gonna be fine.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I doubt very much that the short, casual contact would spread virus. Plant viruses are just not all that contagious. The individual who has done all the work with evaluating the virus tests, etc. (he is a biochemist who owns a company that does immunoassay work, so he knows something - a whole lot - about the field) did a study with some seedlings... actually TRIED to infect them... and after several years, they're still negative. I really think that you can relax.

Was this specificially a test with CYMMV? Not all viruses are transmitted the same ways and as easily. CYMMV is a potexvirus, which are known for spreading quite easily via contact alone (ex, plants next to each other with leaves rubbing, not necessarily open wounds) I have no idea how it applied to CYMMV, but other very common and damaging potexviruses in economically important crops, such as Potato virus X or Pepino Mosaic Virus, are spread by contact including touching plants with hands covered in virus from other plants. I'm going to guess that CYMMV is going to behave similarly, though how easily transmission happens may differ.

That being said, to avoid panicking the OP even further, time of exposure is often important, and I would doubt that a split second contact would be enough to infect the plant. That being said, a test in a couple months time certainly wouldn't hurt...

[SouthPark]

I'm still uncertain about the actual situation ------ but I did find it interesting to hear or read about people mentioning that there haven't been reports of cases of orchids having viruses out in the wild.

It's probably hard to believe. But if it's true, then probably goes to show how viruses do it really tough too ----- out in the wild. A hard life!

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

I'm still uncertain about the actual situation ------ but I did find it interesting to hear or read about people mentioning that there haven't been reports of cases of orchids having viruses out in the wild.

It's probably hard to believe. But if it's true, then probably goes to show how viruses do it really tough too ----- out in the wild. A hard life!

In the case of CYMMV and ORSV there are actually no known insect vectors, which would explain low prevalence in the wild. They are common in cultivation because humans are an excellent vector, and these 2 viruses happen to be quite stable and usually present in high concentration in plant cells. So the combination of these charactistics and humans is heaven for the viruses. But yes, the going is very tough for these out in the wild!

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by camille1585

CYMMV is a potexvirus, which are known for spreading quite easily via contact alone (ex, plants next to each other with leaves rubbing, not necessarily open wounds) I have no idea how it applied to CYMMV, but other very common and damaging potexviruses in economically important crops, such as Potato virus X or Pepino Mosaic Virus, are spread by contact including touching plants with hands covered in virus from other plants. I'm going to guess that CYMMV is going to behave similarly, though how easily transmission happens may differ.

That is definitely a concern for sure Camille.

Great information here, as this is exactly the kind of information that requires looking into.

If that kind of virus really does occupy both the inside and the outside of orchids, and can readily be transferred to other orchids just by external touching ----- then that is definitely not a good situation. The orchid-lab community may need to help out a bit in this area ------ to see if a touch is enough, or whether the virus touches, and then later can potentially get into a wound, or whether the virus can just enter the leaf without any wound at all -- through a regular leaf or root ------ nasty!

[MJG]

Originally Posted by camille1585

Was this specificially a test with CYMMV? Not all viruses are transmitted the same ways and as easily. CYMMV is a potexvirus, which are known for spreading quite easily via contact alone (ex, plants next to each other with leaves rubbing, not necessarily open wounds) I have no idea how it applied to CYMMV, but other very common and damaging potexviruses in economically important crops, such as Potato virus X or Pepino Mosaic Virus, are spread by contact including touching plants with hands covered in virus from other plants. I'm going to guess that CYMMV is going to behave similarly, though how easily transmission happens may differ.

That being said, to avoid panicking the OP even further, time of exposure is often important, and I would doubt that a split second contact would be enough to infect the plant. That being said, a test in a couple months time certainly wouldn't hurt...

Camille, you've rocked my world. I had never heard this before, and it flies in the face of what I thought I knew about orchids viruses.

Thanks for your post. I'm really hoping that others jump in and add to the picture.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by MJG

Camille, you've rocked my world. I had never heard this before, and it flies in the face of what I thought I knew about orchids viruses.

Thanks for your post. I'm really hoping that others jump in and add to the picture.

I would still advise to take my words with a grain of salt. I have general knowledge from having majored in plant pathology in my Msc, but am far from being a specialist. One thing I wonder about for instance is how easily the virus spread by contact among orchids. Tomatoes/peppers/cucmbers/etc are a bit different in that they are densely planted, and have thin leaves with can easily be damaged and release sap, and there will frequently be people among the plants. Orchids have very thick leaves so transmission via contact may be more difficult.

Infections due to contamination by tools and hands that have been in contact with infected sap remains by far the most common transmission route.