Cattleyas tested positive for viral diseases. How upsetting!

[babehauss]

Three of my Cattleya plants tested positive for the virus (using Agdia CymMV&ORSV test kits). The flowers on these plants are not affected at all, but the leaves showed black spots or streak marks.

I have not tested the rest of my other orchids because none shows any viral symptoms or signs on the leaves (no black spots,no rings, no streak marks). Should I test the rest of my plants if they show no signs of viral diseases? These tests are not cheap.
How reliable are the CymMV&ORSV tests?

Thank you,

[sam1147]

Looki here ---http://www.orchidboard.com/community/beginner-discussion/111105-virus-test-test.html.
Seems like I am the only one here ,in this forum ,who tests for viruses. Being consistent I would advise: yes test as many as possible at least the ones which were close to the positive cattleyas or that show any unusual black markings on the leaves.
In any case if you do not intend to discard these 3 or isolate them in different place- there is no reason whatsoever to continue the tests .
These kits are very reliable for testing CYM & ORSV viruses

[Roberta]

I test "on suspicion", and if a plant is growing well, just put it at some distance from the rest of the collection. There are some Catts that do just fine and bloom beautifully, even though virused. Of course if the plant isn't doing well, dump it. A lot depends on your growing area - in a crowded greenhouse it's more concerning than in an outdoor growing area where there plenty of room, and good air exchange. I have the luxury of outdoor space and a benign climate, have not seen evidence of spread.

Of course, good hygiene all the time is vital - sterile tools, clean surfaces. Gloves unless you wash hands thoroughly between plants when repotting.

[Bayard]

I test all new plants if they are divisions or clones. Seedlings I consider to be less risky, but unless they were grown from dry seed, they can be infected.
I recently have been retesting my collection because I found a clone showing color break to be virused. Sadly, some of my older Cattleyas were virused as well and had to be destroyed. None or them showed signs of virus. My plants live cheek by jowl, so there may be a “Typhoid Mary” in there somewhere that is infecting others by plant to plant contact. I am scrupulous about using clean razor blades or flamed cutting tools between plants in order prevent transmission. I use the Agdia test strips as well. If you buy them in lots of 25 they are somewhat less expensive.

[Roberta]

If you can utilize 50 strips (the minimum order) consider getting from Rega Cheaper per test than Agdia, need a much smalller sample, and can be stored at room temperature and have a longer shelf life, 18 months vs 12 for Agdia. (strips are in individual sealed packages so they're protected from picking up moisture, which is what deteriorates them) They are in Taiwan, do ship to the US, as well as most other countries. If you can put together a group order (like a society) there are significant price breaks for larger orders.

[babehauss]

I decided to test all of my orchids. About 40% of the plants were either positive for CymMV or ORSV virus. So, I discarded all of the infected ones. It is heartbreaking because I had some of those plants for at least 15 years).

I have a very small growth space where I grow my orchids, mostly indoors and under lights and that is why I cannot afford to have viruses in my small collection. There is no space to isolate the sick ones. If a plant is not performing well, how will I know if it is because of the viruses or the environment?

The real puzzle for me is that I did not add any new orchids to the collection for at least a year so where did the viruses come from ?
The first plant that I detected some streak marks(6 months ago), was a Cattleya seedling that I bought from Home Depot three years ago.
Could the viruses stay dormant for years in that seedling until now?

Unknowingly,I may have transmitted the virus by contact (my cat, Babe, also walked among the plants…also her fault! No, I am not serious).

[rbarata]

I don't test for virus and, frankly, I don't care. Probably all plants, especially those growing outside, are infected. My opinion is that it is part of a natural process and it's useless to try to fight it.
If I had a plant for 15 years growing well, I would keep it but away from the rest of the collection.
And remember, the test kits are sensitive for a few virus from the, probably, thousands of virus that exist.

[Dimples]

Where did the virus come from:
If you have never tested for viruses before now, your plants may have been infected from the start. Some plants don’t show visible signs of viruses ever, some will show signs if their health deteriorates, others may always show symptoms regardless of how healthy/unhealthy they are.

Insects can carry and spread viruses. Growing indoors doesn’t prevent that type of transmission entirely, but it does lessen the risk. Transmission can also happen when we do things like use tools on multiple plants without sterilization, sharing water, etc.

My guess is that you’ve had virus-infected plants for a long time. Especially if you have good plant hygiene.

[Pegleg]

I have tested for virus. Probably will again in the future. But, the results have to be viewed with caution.
I have one Cattleya that tested negative with the agdia strips. It grows on ok but not great and has been consistently blooming with some amount of color break every time. I am convinced it has a virus just, not one the agdia strips test for.
On the other hand, one of my dendrobiums tested positive for CMV. It grows very slowly but blooms reliably and without color break every year.
The reason I would go ahead and test is, to see if a plant that is not doing well is worth fighting for. The two plants above are growing along without any extra fuss. It would be good to know if a plant I keep treating for apparent pest or disease really just has, an untreatable, virus. No point in continuing that battle.
Just my two cents.