Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus officially Confirmed in Egypt
Fayoum & Ismailia, Egypt – The Egyptian National Plant Protection Institution (NPPO) has officially confirmed the presence of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) within the country, marking a notable advancement for tomato and capsicum growers. The confirmation, reported September 2, 2025, follows earlier detections in 2016-2017 and a previously invalidated report from 2019.
This official declaration is critical because ToBRFV poses a serious threat to solanaceous crops, including tomatoes and peppers, potentially causing substantial yield losses. While currently limited in distribution to the Fayoum and Ismailia governorates, the virus’s presence necessitates heightened surveillance and proactive management strategies to prevent wider spread and protect Egypt’s agricultural sector. The NPPO is currently conducting ongoing surveillance to monitor the virus’s distribution.
Initial reports of ToBRFV in Egypt surfaced in 2019 with observations on tomato plants, but the NPPO deemed that record unconfirmed at the time. Subsequent detection in capsicum samples collected between 2016 and 2017 prompted further inquiry. Recent official surveys conducted throughout 2025 ultimately validated the virus’s presence in tomato fruit samples.
The pest status of ToBRFV in Egypt is now officially designated as “Present, with limited distribution,” according to the EPPO Global Database. Growers and agricultural authorities are urged to remain vigilant and implement appropriate biosecurity measures to mitigate the impact of this emerging plant health concern.
Source: https://gd.eppo.int/reporting/article-8215
Frontpage photo: © Maksim Mironov | Dreamstime
