BBTD spread in Cameroon 2009-2017

This project on BBTD was undertaken under the RTB , the Alliance for BBTV control in Africa and TCP project of FAO which aim of understanding epidemiology of BBTD, delineation of the area of BBTV spread, contain the virus toward recovering banana production in SSA. Bananas and plantains (Musa spp) are important staple and cash crops in Cameroon. The crop production is threatened since 2008 by the banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) caused by the Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) first detected in Ambam district in Southern Cameroon. This study was conducted to assess the status of disease spread in Cameroon and the genetic diversity of BBTV in Cameroon. Field surveys were conducted in four seasons: 2009-10, 2012, 2013-14 and 2016-17 in Cameroon and phylogenetic studies done on BBTV isolates obtained from BBTV-infected samples collected during surveys.