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Impatiens necrotic spot virus(INSV) was first detected in New Zealand in August 2003 in Freesia refractaplants growing in a nursery on the South Island of New Zealand. Surveys were conducted to determine the extent of spread of the virus within the nursery and to other sites around the country. INSV was confirmed by a newly developed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in impatiens (Impatiens walleriana), primula (Primula obconica) and Ranunculussp. at the original site and in impatiens (I. walleriana) at two additional North Island sites. Infected material was destroyed and a management program established with the industry. However, in June 2006 a begonia (Begonia× tuberhybrida) specimen from a fourth North Island nursery was received which was found to be infected with INSV. Other species confirmed by RT-PCR to be infected at this site include cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum), gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides), gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii), as well as hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), which is a new host for INSV. Partial nucleotide sequences obtained by RT-PCR were found to be closely related to published sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil-borne wheat mosaic virus(SBWMV) was identified using transmission electron microscopy, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with SBWMV-specific antibodies and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests with SBWMV-specific primers and sequence comparison in two out of five samples collected from a wheat (Triticum aestivum) plant showing severe leaf mosaic. The plant was also infected with Barley stripe mosaic virusand Barley yellow dwarf virus-MAV and -PAV. A further 28 out of 200 wheat samples tested positive for SBWMV using ELISA. A comparison of 11 New Zealand SBWMV isolates indicated that they were all identical and had 98% nucleotide sequence identity with SBWMV isolates from the United States, subgroup New York-Illinois. At the location of the SBWMV outbreak the vector, Polymyxa graminis, was detected by PCR and the identity was confirmed by sequencing. This is the first report of SBWMV in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosecurity New Zealand recognizes that Plum pox virus (PPV) is one of the most destructive diseases of stone fruit and aims to keep New Zealand free from it. PPV has never been detected in New Zealand orchards during national surveys. but it has been detected in post-entry quarantine. Biosecurity New Zealand has analysed the potential pathways for PPV to enter the country, and developed phytosanitary regulations and prevention control measures to reduce the risks. A contingency plan, a response programme, and diagnostic protocols have been developed and simulation exercises based on a hypothetical PPV incursion have been carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High Plains virus (I-IPV) causes a potentially serious economic disease of cereals and is of quarantine importance for New Zealand. HPV is transmitted by the wheat curl mite Aceria tosichella, and neither the virus nor its vector is present in New Zealand. Cereal seeds imported to New Zealand are required to be certified HPV-free, as the virus is a regulated pest. A procedure was developed for inspecting plants and testing cereal seedlings in quarantine using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as a detection method. A sample of 50,655 sweet corn seeds was taken from an imported commercial line and germinated in containment. Symptomatic seedlings were collected at 3 and 4 1/2 weeks after sowing. Eight out of 27 symptomatic samples tested HPV positive by RT-PCR and were confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sequence analysis revealed that the HPV isolates had a 99.3 to 100% nucleotide identity and 99.0 to 100% amino acid similarity with the HPV USA isolate (GenBank accession no. U60 141). HPV variants were detected by single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis but not by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article that mistakenly reported the presence of high plains virus (HPV) in New Zealand.

The article describes the first identified case of wheat streak mosaic virus (WSVM) on wheat in New Zealand. It mentions that the symptoms on affected wheat leaves are mild mosaic. Affected leaves were tested for WSVM by a double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the ELISA results were confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with novel forward primers.