Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV) is a plant pathogenic virus of the family Alphaflexiviridae. Cymbidium mosaic virus and the Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV) are two of the most common viruses affecting cultivated orchids worldwide. Infected plants can have less desirable flowers or other problems, causing significant financial losses to orchid growers. The virus has not often been reported in wild orchid populations. It can be found in a wide variety of orchid genera but does not infect plants other than orchids. Once an orchid is infected, the virus spreads throughout the infected plant in a number of weeks. Control measures may include sanitizing pruning equipment between plants. There is an ELISA test available to test for presence of the virus. It is related to the Narcissus mosaic virus (NMV), the Scallion virus X (SVX), the Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) and the Potato aucuba mosaic virus (PAMV). Importance Orchids are composed of nearly 200,000 species of plants with attractive flowers. They are predominantly found in wet climates. The orchid family is one of the most important plant families in respect to the ornamental flower industry. In 2005, the potted orchid industry brought in about $144 million in the United States. This makes them the second most valuable potted plant in the nation. From 1996 to 2006 there has been a 206.4% increase in potted orchid prices. Globally, Taiwan, Taipei, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Brazil, and New Zealand are among the largest importers of potted orchids. Additionally, orchids are the source of vanilla. It is the only commercially important derivation from the plants - most commonly found in the Vanilla planifolia species. The virus stunts the growth of orchids both through size reduction as well as lowering flower yield. CymMV has also been linked to cases of breakage in flower coloration as well as blossom necrosis. This is especially important because this causes the commercial value of the plants to be greatly reduced. Signs and symptoms CymMV causes a mosaic of irregularly shaped chlorotic and/or necrotic lesions to appear on infected hosts. Additionally, infected plants will show smaller yields. Sometimes the orchids may display chlorotic rings while others will display symptoms in lesions. Sunken patches can also be observed on leaves. Lastly, certain infected plants may be symptom-less but are still viral enough to infect other neighboring plants. This is because the chlorosis and necrosis can take time to show; however,