Transmission characteristics of Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus by rice planthoppers

Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) is a recently proposed distinct species in the genus Fijivirus, family Reoviridae. During the past decade, SRBSDV has spread throughout southern China and northern Vietnam, and has become one of the greatest threats to rice production in these regions. We evaluated three common planthopper species affecting rice: white-backed planthopper (WBPH, Sogatella furcifera), brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens) and small brown planthopper (SBPH, Laodelphax striatellus) to determine their virus transmission abilities. It was confirmed that WBPH was an efficient persistent-transmitting vector for SRBSDV. Neither BPH nor SBPH were viral vectors, although a small proportion (3.7%) of tested SBPH acquired the virus from diseased rice. We characterized the virus transmission properties of WBPH. 83% of the tested insects fed on virus-infected rice plants became viruliferous. The minimum virus acquisition and inoculation access periods were 5 and 30 min, respectively, for both WBPH nymphs and adults. The circulative transmission periods of the virus in WBPH ranged from 6 to 14 days, and most viruliferous individuals transmitted the virus in intermittent periods ranging from 2 to 6 days. A single individual of WBPH could infect 8–25 rice plants with the virus in a 5-day period. WBPH could transmit SRBSDV from rice to maize seedlings, but it was barely able to acquire the virus from infected maize. These results improve our understanding of the epidemiology of SRBSDV, and will be useful for development of disease control strategies.

► Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) is a proposed novel Fijivirus.
► SRBSDV is one of the largest threats to rice production in China and Vietnam.
► White-backed planthopper (WBPH) was an efficient persistent vector for this virus.
► The virus transmission properties by WBPH were characterized.