Plum pox Plum pox Plum pox, also known as sharka, is the most devastating viral disease of stone fruit from the genus "Prunus". The disease is caused by the plum pox virus (PPV), and the different strains may infect a variety of stone fruit species including peaches, apricots, plums, nectarine, almonds, and sweet and tart cherries. Wild and ornamental species of "Prunus" may also become infected by some strains of the virus. The virus is transmitted by aphids and by the transfer of infected plant material to new locations. Plum pox poses no danger to consumers, but it can ruin the marketability
Plum pox of stone fruit by causing acidity and deformities. The only way to manage the disease is to destroy all infected trees, which can cause significant economic losses. The disease symptoms were first seen in Bulgaria around 1916-1917, thus the name of "sharka" - from Bulgarian "шарка", meaning "pox". In 1933, the virus origin was described by Dimitar Atanasov. The disease developed in several European countries. The plum pox virus is a linear single stranded RNA virus. There are nine strains of plum pox virus: PPV-D, PPV-M, PPV-EA, PPV-C, PPV-Rec (Recombinant), PPV-W, PPV-T, PPV-CR, and PPV-An. PPV-M isolates are more aggressive