First Report of East African Cassava Mosaic Begomovirus in Ghana.

Virus species causing cassava mosaic disease have been categorized into three classes based on their reaction with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and their distribution (2). These viruses have different, scarcely overlapping distribution: African cassava mosaic begomovirus (ACMV) occurs in Africa west of the Rift Valley and in South Africa; East African cassava mosaic (EACMV) occurs in Africa east of the Rift Valley and in Madagascar; and Indian cassava mosaic virus (ICMV) occurs in India and Sri Lanka (2). During 1998, surveys were conducted in farmers' fields in Ghana to assess the incidence and reaction of local cassava cultivars to cassava mosaic disease.