Viruses are one of the major problems in cucurbits growing area in Malaysia. The five virus isolates can be differentiated using host ranges and symptoms on selected test plants and based on their different viral morphology. CMV, SqMV and ZYMV had been detected in several weeds species. Only SqMV is seed transmissible in peria and angled loofah. Almost all of the cucurbits were grown for local consumption with the exception of watermelon, which is exported.
Virus diseases are a major problem in cucurbits planting areas all over the world.
Since then the occurrence of virus has been reported in France, the USA, Lebanon, Japan, Taiwan, Jordan, Singapore, Greece and Nepal. The data range from the biological properties to the molecular properties of the virus. CMV, a virus in the cucumovirus group is the most common virus found to infect cucurbits, other vegetables and plants in Malaysia. Since then a large number of researches had been carried out to study the virus in Malaysia. Detected from a naturally infected angled loofah, the Malaysian isolate of SqMV was found to exhibit a very narrow host range and infect only plants in the cucubit family.