Language: English
A virus infecting pigs was identified being transmitted by juvenile lungworms (Metastrongylus nematodes), and this remains the only animal virus known to have a nematode vector. Conversely, several economically highly important plant viruses are naturally transmitted by plant-parasitic nematodes. Transmission of plant viruses by nematodes is a relatively new and intriguing field of science, but already considerable research has been accomplished that provides fascinating insight of nematode-virus-plant interactions. The text and the numerous accompanying photographs describes and illustrates the diseases and diseases symptoms in crops caused by the viruses. The geographical distribution of the viruses and their vectors, vector ecology and feeding, pathogenicity and host reaction are presented, and the mechanisms by which the nematodes acquire, retain, and transmit their associated viruses are fully described and illustrated. Techniques and methods used in the study of transmission of viruses by plant-parasitic nematodes are detailed to enable the reader to make their own preliminary investigations in this fascinating area of science.