Tobacco etch virus
(TEV)

- classification : Potyviridae, Potyvirus


Tobacco etch virus (TEV, figure 1) is not as  widely spread as PVY. It is found primarily in North America (Canada and in several U.S. states) and  in the central part of the American continent, particularly in Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba and Puerto Rico. Studies carried out in the United States have shown that this virus had significant impacts on yield and quality of Burley tobacco and it decreased the combustion quality of the cured leaves. In Kentucky TEV is found in combination with tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV), and referred to as  a "tobacco virus complex " of Burley (Burley tobacco virus complex).

Figure 1

TEV is also present on the African continent. Serious outbreaks have occured in Madagascar, whereas  the virus appears  occasionally in South Africa. It has also been reported in India since many years and it is on the rise in China and Korea.
 
It is not commonly found in tobacco in Europe. It has been reported in Germany, but it is questionable whether, in this case, it was not confused with another virus. It occurs in Spain, while it has never been isolated in France.

This potyvirus is also present in the Mediterranean zone and it causes considerable damage particularly in pepper in Turkey. In the future, it would not be surprising if the virus was also found in tobacco in this region.