Detection of a New Strain of the Yambean mosaic virus in Senna hirsuta (Irwin and Barneby) in Calabar, Southern Nigeria

Background: Hairy senna is an edible weed grown for both its vegetables and as a hedge plant in farms backyard gardens Calabar. Senna hirsuta leaf samples showing virus-like symptoms were collected the growing seasons of between 2018 2020 from Calabar surrounding area. Methods: The virus was isolated transmitted by mechanical inoculation host range studies. Seed transmissibility transmission aphids further used detection. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using primers specific to cylindrical inclusion protein gene (CI) potyviruses followed sequencing molecular identification. neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree constructed determine relationship isolate with those other parts world. Result: For studies, four species belonging Fabaceae family infected isolate, indicating narrow range. found be seed transmissible could vectored Aphis craccivora spiraecola. Obtained DNA fragments expected size of~700 bp amplified pairwise comparison revealed 94-95.87% similarity complete sequence YBMV (JN190431). Phylogenetic analysis placed same clade Brazilian isolates (MK825543 MK825544) JN190431. On basis this, adjudged Nigerian strain