First Report of Sharka Disease Caused by Plum Pox Virus in Lithuania

Plum pox (sharka) disease caused by plum pox potyvirus (PPV) is considered the most important virus disease of stone fruit trees in Europe and the Mediterranean region. Nearly all those countries that produce stone fruits are affected (3). The causal virus of the disease is a European Plant Protection Organization A2 quarantine pathogen. Symptoms of leaf mottling, diffuse chlorotic spots, rings, and vein banding of varied intensity characteristic for plum pox virus infection were observed in the plum (Prunus domestica) orchard tree collection of the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture in Babtai in 1996. Presence of this virus in the diseased trees was confirmed by double antibody sandwich-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) with kits from BIOREBA (Reinach, Switzerland) and by polyclonal antibodies raised against a Moldavian isolate of PPV courtesy of T. D. Verderevskaya (Institute of Horticulture, Kishinev, Moldova). ELISAs with both sources of antiserum were positive for presence of PPV. Elect...