I'm CymMV Positive

[MuscleGirl'sHobby]

Yup, that's right. I've got Cymbidium Mosaic Virus in my collection.

And what's worse? I could have prevented it all had I not bought a plant against my better judgment. But I over-rode my gut feeling by saying... "Oh, the leaf just got wounded. It's only cosmetic." I bought the plant locally late last Summer. The symptoms never spread, and the blooms were immaculate. Now it has new growth nearly mature, and is beginning to put up two sheaths... and bammo! Symptoms which made me go

So, I ordered 5 test strips from Agdia and hoped for the best. I tested the suspect Cattleya today, as well as 4 neighbors. The Cattleya produced a very strong positive result for CymMV. Another plant I bought just a couple months ago which was next to it gave a faint positive... and it appears there may be one more very faint positive in the 5th test. Please take a look at the pictures and let me know what you think.

I have several other plants which in just the last two days have developed a few small spots which I'm terrified means they've got it too. I've moved my collection around a bit since I got the original plant, so can't really recall who it's been sitting next too. I'm pretty meticulous about cleanliness... but I'm a messy waterer at times.

The only good news in it all is that the new plants I've gotten over the last couple of months have not been in contact with any of the rest of the collection... so they should be OK. Nonetheless, I've ordered an additional 75 test strips. I won't be able to test every plant, but I'll be able to test a lot of them. I'm going to test those most important to me, and I'll isolate the rest just in case.

From here on out I test EVERY SINGLE plant the minute it gets here. I know there was someone else here on OB who said they did that... but I can't recall who right now.

Anyhow, here are the pictures of my tests, and the plant that started it all.