First report of Catharanthus mosaic virus infecting Gomphocarpus physocarpus in South Africa

An RNAtag-seq approach was used to characterise the causal agent of an apparent viral disease on the indigenous South African plant Gomphocarpus physocarpus. The virus associated with the plant sample was Catharanthus mosaic virus (CatMV). This is the first time that this virus has been reported in South Africa as well as on the African continent. Gomphocarpus physocarpus also represents a novel host for CatMV.