Orchid Virus Diseases

If you have a hobby of planting a flower like orchid, you should care this plant regularly because this plant have many problem mainly causes by some viruses. Orchid species can be affected by about 25 different of viruses. The most danger viruses for orchids are Odontoglossum Ringspot virus) ORSV and Cybidium Mosaic (CyMV). Once an orchid plant is infected by this virus, it cannot be cured. This viruses should be destroyed as soon as possible to avoid of virus spreeding to other ochids.

Decolonization on Flower due to CyMV

The characteristic of orchid that infected by viruses grow more slowly, may become stunted and take longer to produce flowers. Others may the flowers may be discoloured or deformed and smaller. Infected plant can also susceptible by other diseases that cause by bacteria and fungi. Virus disease can spread to other plants, but not to human and animals.

Oncidium Leaves with symptom of ORSV

Symptoms of plants that infected by viruses can vary and sometime without any visible symptoms. If the plant seen suspect symptoms infected by viruses as soon as separate the plant from others and have it to be tested. Infected plants should be destroyed at once. If you have infected orchid in your orchids collection, you should test all of your plants in order to eliminate spreading to all plants.

Orchid viruses can spread through hand, cutting tools, pots, etc. To sterilize this contamination from viruses you can dipped the tools or pots on 10% of bleach solution or dipped in alcohol or flamed.