Virus. My heart just sank. What do I do???

[Orchid Whisperer]

As Silken said, a number of pathogens can also produce ring spots, especially fungi. I have been informed by many growers (with more experience than I have) that you CAN'T diagnose a virus just by looking. You CAN visually identify problems that could make you suspect a virus.

Your concern that a potential virus could spread to other plants is justifiable. Based on your other posts, you have a fairly large number of plants now - it is probably worth buying a few test kits to see if this one plant is virused. If not virused - it's a worry removed. If virused - discard the plant, isolate others that were nearby, and maybe test them. Possibly suspend buying other plants until you know the problem is contained. At $5 to $8 for the tests Silken mentioned, you could buy 2 or 3 tests for the price of one new plant. You probably don't need to test all plants, but it is probably worth knowing your plant collection's "status" before buying more plants and possibly infecting them.

[My Green Pets]

Sorry to read this Astrid. I think it is something all orchid growers have to go through. The only way to know for sure is to test, that much is certain. Keeping them all from touching each other and not letting any fluids drip or otherwise pass from plant to plant will minimize possible transmission.

I have infected plants that cannot be replaced, so I hold on to them, but keep them a good distance from the healthy ones.

[astrid]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Here is a great article I found. Hope it is of interest.

http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/19...117N_13659.pdf

BLESS YOU ANGEL OF KNOWLEDGE!!!
May I ask how you went about locating this? I was using my student access to scifinder, and I did find one interesting article, but I'd love to find more similar to this.

Scifinder mainly had advanced genetic techniques for detection of the diseases, and I would like a slightly more qualitative and macro approach (at least in part, like the paper you linked me has!).

---------- Post added at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:13 PM ----------

Originally Posted by CambriaWhat

Sorry to read this Astrid. I think it is something all orchid growers have to go through. The only way to know for sure is to test, that much is certain. Keeping them all from touching each other and not letting any fluids drip or otherwise pass from plant to plant will minimize possible transmission.

I have infected plants that cannot be replaced, so I hold on to them, but keep them a good distance from the healthy ones.

How do the infected plants do? Are they suffering or drooping?
I can definitely replace this orchid, but I will have to save up for it. Maybe I'll find a better smelling one- this one smells kind of like babies (like, their lil soft baby skin not their poop) to me and I don't like it in a flower.

I try to keep the plants from touching each other as much as possible, and will continue to do this for evaaaaaa.

Thanks!

---------- Post added at 12:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:15 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

As Silken said, a number of pathogens can also produce ring spots, especially fungi. I have been informed by many growers (with more experience than I have) that you CAN'T diagnose a virus just by looking. You CAN visually identify problems that could make you suspect a virus.

Your concern that a potential virus could spread to other plants is justifiable. Based on your other posts, you have a fairly large number of plants now - it is probably worth buying a few test kits to see if this one plant is virused. If not virused - it's a worry removed. If virused - discard the plant, isolate others that were nearby, and maybe test them. Possibly suspend buying other plants until you know the problem is contained. At $5 to $8 for the tests Silken mentioned, you could buy 2 or 3 tests for the price of one new plant. You probably don't need to test all plants, but it is probably worth knowing your plant collection's "status" before buying more plants and possibly infecting them.

Are you an AstridWhisperer, too? Playing up my sympathies to get me to fork over some $$$ to do a few tests?

Okay sneaky-pants, maybe I will do that. I would really be devastated if I got a bunch of plants and had to toss them all over this.

I also think Agdia has a branch right here in my city, so I might as well go in for a visit/call.

[My Green Pets]

How do they do? Some very well, not showing any sign of infection unless they get a little stressed, for example in the winter indoors with lower humidity. Then the spots and blotches start appearing.

I did have one Phal that was infected with both ORSV and CymMV and even it managed to put out a spike with five flowers this spring. Afterwards, however, it barely had enough strength to put out one little root. I finally discarded it yesterday. Had a ceremony and everything.

[Pat'sCatt's]

Hi Astrid, maybe there is already enough information for you in the replies you got, bud maybe this will help a little bit too. It was an explanation given to me by a plantprofessor (not the correct term bud you know what i mean) specialized in plantvirusses. His 'simple' way of putting it made a whole clear to me, and put my mind more at rest. Maybe you already know this but just in case:

An orchid virus is like a little closed package.
It can not multiply it self outside the plant like a bacteria. So if 1 virus package would swim around in a watertank it will stay only 1.

It also cannot pierce/push it self into an healthy orchid plant. The plant has to be freshly damaged for the virus to enter. And also healthy roots don't let the virus in, they also have to be damaged or crushed.

Only when a virus package gets in the damaged cell of an orchid it opens it self and uses the proteins in the cell to skip from one cell to the other.

Hope this well help! 👋👋👋

[AnonYMouse]

I'll start by saying, I don't test. And here's why:

• There are more viruses than available tests.
• There are other things more detrimental (I suppose that is a matter of opinion).
• No point unless you test all your plants. You don't reduce the chance of transmission if you don't know the status of all your plants.
• Some say nearly all orchids are virused (I don't know their logic but I have my own theory that viruses are present).
• A virus positive plant may flourish and flower normally.

Caveats:

Practice good hygiene.
Isolate any suspicious plants-maybe forever.
Full disclosure when gifting/trading/selling.

[WhiteRabbit]

Critter Creek Labs does testing from mailed in samples for $5 each
Critter Creek Laboratory

[Leafmite]

I would remove that one suspicious leaf. After reading that article where the one virus moves through the vascular system and the other cell by cell....
I would probably use a cotton ball with bleach to dab the wound after removing the leaf. The leaf could be sent in to Critter Creek or you could use a test (?).

[astrid]

Update on the orchid:

So, this leaf is changing color so rapidly and going mushy that I think it has caught a bacterial infection instead. In just 3 days, the plant went from healthy, to having a mottled leaf, and now the leaf is becoming transluscent/mushy.

I guess this is a bacteria instead?
UNFORTUNATELY these are the SAME leaf symptoms as this cattleya I ordered on ebay which arrived with an orange mush leaf. Maybe my plant caught something? I don't know how it would have happened as I tossed the sick catt within about a day and didn't water it or cut it.

I think this type of thing comes on so quickly that 4 days in shipping and a healthy leaf can look awful.

I am just going to let this plant sit on my desk for a few more days and see what happens. /shrug

[wintergirl]

I just think some dendrobiums have very touchy leaves anyway.