Virus contamination of waters in two forest districts of the Rhineland area (FRG)

Abstract

Viruses were detected in water samples collected from two forest districts of NorthrhineWestfalia in early spring 1985 and 1986. Mechanically transmissible viruses of the Tobamo-, Potex-and Tombusvirus groups were isolated from 39 of 66 water samples taken from creeks, ponds and drainage ditches.

Plant viruses in aqueous environment – Survival, water mediated transmission and detection

“…Apart from viruses known to be plant pathogens, novel infectious viruses from genus Carmovirus (Yi et al, 1992), Potexvirus (Koenig and Lesemann, 1985;Bü ttner and Nienhaus, 1989), Tombusvirus (Yi et al, 1992;Koenig and Lesemann, 1985;Gallitelli et al, 1989;Koenig et al, 2004) and Tobamovirus (Koenig and Lesemann, 1985) have been isolated from environmental waters. Their natural hosts and importance in nature are unknown.…”

“…Besides tobamoviruses, several other infectious plant viruses that cause diseases in agricultural crops, e.g., potexvirus Potato virus X (PVX), tombusviruses Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) and Carnation Italian ringspot virus (CIRV), have been isolated from waters draining the forest area Northrhine-Westfalia (Bü ttner et al, 1987;Bü ttner and Nienhaus, 1989). Infectious TBSV was also isolated from lakes and rivers worldwide (see review of Koenig (1986)).…”

“…TMV was recovered from the rivers Henne in Germany (Koenig and Lesemann, 1985), Lato in Italy (Piazzolla et al, 1986), Danube and Sava in former Yugoslavia (To si c and To si c, 1984), and from two forest ditches and a brook in Croatia (Ple se et al., 1996). Infectious ToMV was isolated from waters draining forest stands in Croatia (Ple se et al, 1996), in Germany Northrhine-Westfalia (Bü ttner andNienhaus, 1989), in central New York and in the high peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains (Jacobi and Castello, 1991). Infective ToMV virions were detected also in clouds and fog (Castello et al, 1995).…”

“…Serological methods are suitable for direct and indirect detection of plant viruses in water samples. First, they were used for characterising viruses isolated on test plants (indirect determination of the presence of plant viruses in waters), e.g., immunodiffusion and/or immunoprecipitation tests (Tomlinson et al, 1983;Tomlinson and Faithfull, 1984;To si c and To si c, 1984;Koenig and Lesemann, 1985;Koenig et al, 1989;Bü ttner and Nienhaus, 1989;Bü ttner et al, 1987;Yi et al, 1992;Ple se et al, 1996) and later ELISA (Jacobi and Castello, 1991). Castello et al (1995) and Boben et al (2007) have shown that plant viruses can be also detected directly from concentrated water samples by ELISA.…”

“…Xanthi-nc (Bü ttner and Nienhaus, 1989). Biological assay was used as a method for detection and for the isolation and propagation of viruses that is needed for further characterization (Tomlinson et al, 1983;Bü ttner et al, 1987;Bü ttner and Nienhaus, 1989;Piazzolla et al, 1986;Koenig and Lesemann, 1985;Koenig et al, 1988Koenig et al, , 1989Koenig et al, , 2004 or as a test of infectivity (Castello et al, 1995;Boben et al, 2007).…”