*2.6.1* Tomato spotted wilt virus *(TSWV)*

*Tomato spotted wilt virus* (TSWV) causes serious crop losses in many economically important crops, including vegetables and ornamental crops. It has been reported to affect pepper in Zimbabwe in Africa [53]. The virus is transmitted in a persistent and propagative manner by several species of thrips. The western flower thrip (*Frankliniella occidentalis*) is the most efficient [54]. However, only the adult thrips that feed on infected plants transmit the virus after inoculation period of less than 48 h. *Tomato spotted wilt virus* is known to infect more than 1000 different plant species from about 80 botanical families. Symptoms of the virus can be very host-specific. Typical symptoms observed in pepper include yellowing or browning of leaves, chlorotic or necrotic ringspots on leaves and fruits, necrotic streaks on stems with terminated shoots and fruits [6].
