Tobacco mild green mosaic virus in Nicotiana glauca in south Italy

Tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV; genus Tobamovirus) occurs probably in all tropical and subtropical regions where Nicotiana glauca (tobacco tree) is distribuited (North America, Australia, many European and African countries, Canary and Mediterranean islands). In Italy, TMGMV has been reported in pepper in 1970. During spring 2003 several plants of N. glauca growing in south Italy (Naples), were found to be infected by a tobamo-like virus based on preliminary electron-microscope observation of leaf samples.