The diagnosis of plum pox virus in the UK:: From strain differentiation to on-site detection

Plum pox virus (PPV) is a highly damaging virus of Prunus spp. This pathogen was first recorded in the UK in the 1960s and rapidly established itself in plum crops in England. As part of an on-going campaign to control this virus, accurate diagnosis is vital and new methods have been recently introduced to support existing ELISA tests. These include IC-RT-PCR with RFLP analysis, which permits accurate strain differentiation. Using these methods, all ELISA positive samples are now confirmed and strain-typed. To date only the D-strain has been detected. In addition to laboratory testing, an on-site test kit has also been developed for use during field inspections. This kit, which consists of a one-step lateral flow device and a simple, bottle extraction system, can give a result in less than 3 minutes.