Tomato yellow leaf curl virus can be acquired and transmitted by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) from tomato fruit

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is an insect pest causing worldwide economic losses, especially as a vector of geminiviruses such as Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). Currently, imported and exported tomato fruit are not monitored for TYLCV infection because they are not considered to represent a potential risk as a virus source for whiteflies. A survey of tomato fruit imported into Reunion Island indicated that more than 50% of the fruit contained TYLCV as determined by DNA blot analysis. Moreover, we showed that TYLCV was present at a high titer in tomato fruit, and demonstrated that it can be acquired by whiteflies and subsequently transmitted to healthy tomato plants. Potential risk of the spread of TYLCV by tomato fruit in natural conditions needs to be further assessed.