In 2002, severe vein yellowing and partial or complete yellowing of the leaves were observed on some shoots of red raspberry 'Golden Bliss' and 'Autumn Bliss', indicating the possible infection with RBDV. Sap of infected plants of 'Golden Bliss' was inoculated on Chenopodium quinoa and Nicotiana benthamiana. Faint chlorotic spots were observed on inoculated leaves of C. quinoa about 14 days after inoculation. No symptoms were observed on N. benthamiana. Systemic infections of inoculated C. quinoa and N. benthamiana and infections of original raspberry plants were confirmed by DAS-ELISA. In 2003 the virus was isolated from the same raspberry cultivar by mechanical inoculation of C quinoa in growth chamber at 20degreesC. Systemic chlorotic spots were observed about 14 days after inoculation. With immuno-capture RT-PCR a part of the CP gene was amplified using four primer pairs. The largest product of about 872bp was purified and sequenced. Comparison of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences showed the identities of 96,8%-99,7% and 98,4%-99,6%, respectively. In 2003, 31 raspberry cvs., four autochthonous Rubus sp., Rubus occidentalis and Rubus phoenicolasius grown in collection plantation at Brdo pri Lukovici were tested for the presence of RBDV by DAS-ELISA. Infection was confirmed in raspberry 'Autumn Bliss', 'Fall Gold', 'Golden Bliss', 'Meeker' and in three of four tested autochthonous Rubus species. Disease symptoms were observed only on 'Autumn Bliss' and 'Golden Bliss'.
