A Survey of Viruses of Alstroemeria in the UK and the Characterisation of Carlaviruses Infecting Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria samples collected in the UK were tested for a range of viruses using ELISA. Alstroemeria mosaic virus (AlMV), alstroemeria carlavirus (AlCV), lily symptomless virus (LSV), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and tobacco rattle virus (TRV) were detected either singly or in combination in 67.5% of 203 samples. AlCV and LSV isolates from Alstroemeria and lily were studied and characterised serologically using existing antisera, and by PCR, using primers to an 11kDa open reading frame (ORF) unique to carlaviruses and to the coat protein gene of LSV. Sequences of isolates of AlCV and LSV from the coat protein gene were 94–99% similar and were 99% similar in the 11kDa ORF, supporting the view that these are strains of the same virus.