*2.2.3* Pepper mild mottle virus *(PMMoV)*

*Pepper mild mottle virus* (PMMoV) has been widely reported in some African countries including Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Nigeria and Ghana. It has been shown to infect up to 24 other plant species including *Solanaceae*, *Chenopodiaceae*, *Cucurbitaceae*, *Labiatae* and *Plantaginaceae* [29, 23]. In cultivated pepper plants, PMMoV can be transmitted through seed and contact with infected plant sap [37]. Seedlings can also be infected by mechanical contamination during transplanting or other cultural routine. *Pepper mild mottle virus* persists in soil and on infected debris, which serve as primary source of inoculum for subsequent planting. Symptoms of PMMoV include various degrees of leaf mottling, leaf mosaic, leaf chlorosis, necrosis, leaf curl and growth decline. These symptoms are more pronounced in young plants than in older plants [38].
