Cassava is a vegetatively propagated seed, and CMGs, their genetic variants, and sequences enhancing geminivirus symptoms (SEGS) use this mode of propagation to spread distal to the infection loci. The first elucidation of ACMV was achieved when electron micrographs obtained from sap extracts from symptomatic cassava leaves revealed twinned (geminate), small, quasi-isometric particles measuring 15-20 nm in diameter (Harrison et al., 1977; Böttcher et al., 2004). The particle size measures 20 x 30 nm and comprises a 30 kDa coat protein (Stanley et al., 2005). The coat protein encapsidates the bipartite, circular ssDNA DNA A and DNA B genome components of ACMV that are each ~2.7 Kb. Since most farmers are unaware of the viral etiology of symptomatic plants, farmer-to-farmer exchanges of virus-infected planting material and seeds are common. CMGs cause a wide range of foliar symptoms on cassava, but no particular virus is blamed for all of them. Yellow or green mosaic, mottling, and misshapen or twisted leaflets are common symptoms. The distribution of symptoms in the fields, from plant to plant, and even within the same plant, can vary. The associated virus species, the prions, affect the pattern of foliar symptoms. The time it takes for an infected plant to show symptoms is determined by the mode of infection. ACMV symptoms occur in the first few emerging leaves of plant material sourced from infected stock (cutting-borne infection), while whitefly-facilitated ACMV infections (vector-borne infection) require a lag time before the virus titre can build up to levels capable of eliciting symptoms. Field diagnosis of CMD symptoms may be confusing especially if the fields are also infested with cassava green mites (CGMs); with symptoms looking more severe than normal. Although CMGs affect cassava plants to varying levels of severity, the symptoms produced cannot easily be ascribed to any one virus species by visual inspection of diseased leaves. This is because the mosaic symptoms do not form characteristic patterns associated with specific viruses. In infection complexes, therefore, it is important to confirm the causal species through PCR and ELISA methods.

Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals is using Editorial Manager System for quality in review process. Editorial Manager is an online manuscript submission, review and tracking systems used by most of the best open access journals. Review processing is performed by the editorial board members of journal or outside experts; at least two independent reviewers approval followed by editor's approval is required for acceptance of any citable manuscript.

Send your manuscript at www.longdom.org/submissions/antivirals-antiretrovirals.html or as an e-mail attachment to our Editorial Office at manuscripts@longdom.org