Sherwood, J.L., German, T.L., Moyer, J.W. and D.E. Ullman. 2003. Tomato spotted wilt. The Plant Health Instructor. DOI:10.1094/PHI-I-2003-0613-02

DISEASE:  Tomato spotted wilt

PATHOGEN:  Tomato spotted wilt virus

HOSTS: Over 650 species in over 50 families, including many vegetables, peanut and tobacco.

Authors
John L. Sherwood, University of Georgia
Thomas L. German, University of Wisconsin-Madison
James W. Moyer, North Carolina State University
Diane E. Ullman, University of California-Davis

Figure 1	Figure 2

The "spotted wilt" disease of tomato was first described in Australia in 1915 and was determined to be of viral etiology in 1930 (Figs. 1,2). The Tomato spotted wilt virus (genus Tospovirus; family Bunyaviridae) (TSWV) was thought to be the sole member of the tomato spotted wilt virus group until 1989 when Impatiens necrotic spot virus was characterized. The genus Tospovirus now contains TSWV as the type member and more than a dozen other distinct viruses whose identification has been facilitated by the use of serological and molecular techniques. The tospoviruses are transmitted by thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and replicate in both the thrips vectors and the plant hosts. There are significant differences in tospoviruses and their relationship with specific thrips species, so what is presented herein on TSWV is not applicable to all tospovirus-thrips interactions.