Prsv-w can cause severe plant stunting. On the leaves, a green mosaic or mottled pattern is usually accompanied by malformations, including puckering, blisters, leaf distortions, and narrow leaf blades. The youngest leaves are often reduced to just the main veins.
Fruit is often malformed, and can have a color break pattern.
Virus particles produced in infected plants. Although PRSV-W is sap transmissible, it is spread primarily by aphids from infected cucurbitaceous weeds and crops. The major control strategies involve insecticides to eliminate the insect vectors, herbicides to remove alternate hosts, or genetic resistance. The most economical method for control of virus diseases is genetic resistance. Prsv-w has 10 isolates.