I have the same issue...saw virus in neighbor plants a few years ago...prior to it affecting my bulbs. I did tell the neighbor that their bulbs were infected, but as long as they bloom, they don't really care.

Thanks for the update on the testing. Glad that you are getting things squared away with Agdia...maybe their test will be more sensitive now because of your contribution!
Kristi

Slightly confused about who ELISA is.? A person or a test? Have seen ads for Agdia in AOS(american Orchid Society)magazine. I was not aware of viruses for Hippies just tobacco mosaic virus. Reading this is a learning experience for me. Thanks!

Sorry to use acronyms. ELISA and PCR are both types of tests.

I carefully dug up all of my Amaryllis belladonna today, and all the Hippeastrum except papilio in my front yard. I bleached the pitchfork and my shoes between each patch.

I've heard that papilio doesn't display symptoms of mosaic virus. Does anyone know if it could still be a carrier? I might send a leaf off for electron microscopy. It was in a pot right next to the infected Hippeastrum hybrids.
Ruth

None of my Papilio exhibited mosaic symptoms either,even though Hippeastrum on two sides of them were badly infected.Out of twelve hundred bulbs,I have burned about seven hundred.Some of them were prized, one of a kind seedlings.I,too, have been pondering the possibility of Papilio being a Typhoid Mary.I do not know.Apparently I got one bulb with mosaic and insects did the rest.From the time I first noticed It, until I saw no more,was two months.Some lost their leaves about that time,so I may yet find some,when they leaf out this spring.I don't have sufficient isolation to prove transferance either way.If I had dedicated greenhouses I would inject Papilio with the juice of a known virused plant,then in steps of time, later inject known clean plants with the juice of Papilio.Given that I have experienced mosaic at this site, I could never be sure that experiments were pure,without double isolation potted bulbs.I have the desire,but not the money.
Del

Good line of discussion.
More thoughts y'all...
Patrick (lurking)

Pat,
I have pictures of mosaic on photo bucket I took pictures of quite a few of them,before I burned them.It's under npublici sub folder mosaic. I don't have all of them there and I haven't had time to discard the out of focus, bad lighting ones. Eventually I will have those and more on another forum about Hippeastrum.I can't give you the link because gw would not allow this post,if I did.

Today I discovered a mosaic appearance on my Spanish bluebells; they are now bagged up and in the trash. When will it end! Maybe when I have no bulbs left in my garden?

I am definitely going to send a papilio leaf for virus testing by electron microscopy, and will report back with the results. If negative I'll be happy that my papilio is healthy, but won't know if it can be a carrier (it might just have not been tasted by an aphid). If positive, it will be useful for all to know that it isn't immune.

In doing some reading I learned how viruses can spread so readily. Aphids go around tasting lots of plants until they find ones they prefer -spreading disease with each taste.

Ruth

What are the long-term affects of the virus several of you are describing? Does it eventually kill or severely disfigure the plant? Is there anything one can apply to control the virus?

Does anyone have a feeling for how common viruses are in the Hippi bulb trade?

My main source of Mosaic was potted bulbs. If I purchase potted Knight Star Lilies EVEN, then I keep these in another room. From experience I can state that Mosaic is not very contagious THOUGH - at least not with INDOORS gardening.

Interestingly, all bulbs with Mosaic were or better had been TETraploids (I discarded them ASAP). The only DIP infected with Mosaic that I found introduced on the Web, was one "Mrs.Garfield"

Long term effects I've seen so far, the leaves get really ugly, blotchy green, and for the Amaryllis belladonna, a little twisted.

Once a bulb is infected there is no cure.

I believe that the mottling caused by mosaic probably interferes with photosynthesis.The bulbs are reduced in size and the flowers can be small.They are generally weaker,being more susceptible to rot and other disease.
Del