In the Netherlands, tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV; genus Tobamovirus) was first identified in tomato crops in 2019. Since then, the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO-NL) has performed surveys to track and trace this regulated virus aiming for its eradication. To gain more insight in the epidemiology of ToBRFV, genomes were assembled from Illumina sequence data. Whole-genome phylogenetics was integrated with epidemiological metadata in a Nextstrain build. Two new clades were defined, one of which displayed a rapid increase in comparison to the previous version of the Nextstrain build. This rapid increase could be attributed to the unauthorized application of an isolate of ToBRFV as a cross-protection product. Further analysis of the test results of positive samples from tomato production sites suggests that both deliberate application and accidental introduction had occurred. This report introduces the inclusion of 61 new (near) complete ToBRFV genomes in version three of the Nextstrain build, available from https://nextstrain.nrcnvwa.nl/ToBRFV/20220412 . [ ] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV; Tobamovirus fructirugosum) is a harmful virus significantly reducing yield and fruit quality in tomato. It was first detected in Israel and Jordan in 2015 and quickly reached a near-global distribution. Following the outbreak of ToBRFV in the Netherlands in 2019, the Dutch National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO-NL) created a Nextstrain build, which was updated in 2021 and 2023. Here, we announce the release of 82 new (near) complete ToBRFV genomes with associated metadata and the fourth version of the ToBRFV Nextstrain build, which has expanded from 179 to 336 (near) complete genomes. This ToBRFV Nextstrain build is a powerful tool for gaining more insight into the epidemiology of ToBRFV, i.e., on pathways of introduction and the spread and possible origin of the rapidly emerging clade 7 sequence type isolates. The ToBRFV Nextstrain build is available at https://nextstrain.nrcnvwa.nl/ToBRFV/20240205 . [ ] Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .

Lettuce ring necrosis virus (LRNV), genus Ophiovirus, was detected by the Netherlands Institute for Vectors, Invasive plants and Plant health (NIVIP) in June and November of 2021 in two samples of ...

In 2014, Physostegia chlorotic mottle virus (PhCMoV) was discovered in Austria in Physostegia virginiana. Subsequent collaborative efforts established a link between the virus and severe fruit symptoms on important crops such as tomato, eggplant, and cucumber across nine European countries. Thereafter, specific knowledge gaps, which are crucial to assess the risks PhCMoV can pose for production and how to manage it, needed to be addressed. In this study, the transmission, prevalence, and disease severity of PhCMoV were examined. This investigation led to the identification of PhCMoV presence in a new country, Switzerland. Furthermore, our research indicates that the virus was already present in Europe 30 years ago. Bioassays demonstrated PhCMoV can result in up to 100% tomato yield losses depending on the phenological stage of the plant at the time of infection. PhCMoV was found to naturally infect 12 new host plant species across eight families, extending its host range to 21 plant species across 15 plant families. The study also identified a polyphagous leafhopper (genus Anaceratagallia) as a natural vector of PhCMoV. Overall, PhCMoV was widespread in small-scale diversified vegetable farms in Belgium where tomato is grown in soil under tunnels, occurring in approximately one-third of such farms. However, outbreaks were sporadic and were associated at least once with the cultivation in tomato tunnels of perennial plants that can serve as a reservoir host for the virus and its vector. To further explore this phenomenon and manage the virus, studying the ecology of the vector would be beneficial.

Plant-infecting rhabdoviruses (family Rhabdoviridae , subfamily Betarhabdovirinae ) include several viruses that cause important crop diseases and are subject to phytosanitary regulation. Despite their agricultural and ecological importance, the diversity of plant rhabdoviruses and their impact on plant health remain poorly understood. Here, we report 32 tentative novel species of plant-infecting rhabdoviruses, identified via high-throughput sequencing and spanning nine established genera. The virus sequences originated from diverse hosts and geographic regions, revealing extensive diversity within the family Rhabdoviridae . Several viruses were detected independently in the same host species across multiple countries, demonstrating the practical value of data sharing for confirming host associations and gaining insight into the geographic distribution of these viruses. Our study highlights the underexplored diversity of plant rhabdoviruses and demonstrates the value of coordinated, collaborative virus discovery. With HTS now widely accessible, the challenge has shifted from virus discovery to making sequence data and metadata publicly available, and to conducting the time-consuming biological characterization often deprioritized in favour of viruses with immediate phytosanitary relevance. As a result, many findings remain unreported, leaving valuable data dormant on servers. By sharing genomic data prior to publication, we present an efficient approach to accelerate virus reporting, enable comparative analyses and advance understanding of virus diversity. We hope this collaborative effort will encourage further exploration of plant viruses, including those from hosts without discernable symptoms, supporting virus biology, taxonomy, pest risk assessments, and plant health policies.

The first detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in tomato crops in the Netherlands was in 2019. Since then, the National Plant Protection Organization of the Netherlands has conducted surveys to trace and monitor this virus as part of the EU emergency measures up to the end of 2024. An interactive and publicly available ToBRFV Nextstrain build was developed to enable international data sharing and to support outbreak investigations. This report announces the addition of 83 (near) complete ToBRFV genome sequences in the fifth version of the ToBRFV Nextstrain build (available at https://nextstrain.nrcnvwa.nl/ToBRFV ). This announcement highlights the new features of version 5, namely support values for the phylogenetic clustering and display options at the municipality level and compatibility with Nextclade. Furthermore, it demonstrates how genomic data shared within the (international) community supports the reconstruction of introduction pathways, the monitoring of local spread, and the detection of candidate resistance-breaking genotypes. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .