>Also, and perhaps more practical, are
there any general rules in virus
transmission in plants? Is lack of physical
contact adequate isolation or are plant
viruses sometimes airborn?
I can think of one example of a plant virus
that can attack different hosts of plants.
The first one that comes to mind is the
Tomato Mosaic Virus. It not only attacks
tomatoes but also attacks orchids. So there
might be types of virus that attack other
types of plants as well as CP's.
As a rules lack of physical contact is
adequate isolation for a plant suspected of
being infected with a virus. Plant virus are
not airborn. However plant viruses can be
spread to other plants by flying insects that
suck the sap of plants. Plant viruses can
also be spread to other plants by humans
by such vectors as a knife or a cutting
shear for example. It is best to get rid of a
plant that is contaminated with a virus. It is
not recommended to re-use that plant's pot.
I have thrown out a few orchids suspected
of having a virus. I also tested the plants for
viruses by inoculating certain test plants
that are used to identify certain orchid
viruses. These plants tested positive and I
disposed of them.
Rob in Ottawa