Virus on tomatoes doesn’t pose a threat to humans: Experts

Virus on tomatoes doesn’t pose a threat to humans: Experts

Pune: Recently, rumours have been circulating on social media and other media platforms, claiming that a virus that has infected the tomato crop in the State could endanger human health. As a result, tomato growers fear that this misinformation might create doubt among urban consumers, and they would face the same fate as the poultry industry. 

However, experts dismissed any such claims and said that plant viruses cannot infect humans or animals and it is unscientific to relate them.

Ajit Korade, a farmer from Mirewadi in Phaltan Taluka in Satara district, said, “One of the TV channels aired this news that this disease in tomatoes is worse than corona and might endanger humans. It was also widely circulated on social media as nowadays people just keep forwarding posts without realising the accuracy and its impact. Such videos and wrong information often create unrest among people, especially in this time of the pandemic. We have seen in the case of the poultry industry how a rumour destroyed the industry. As a tomato grower, we are scared if we will face the same fate as them as the investment in tomato crops is too high. If the rates reduce to Rs 2-3 per kg, we will be destroyed.”

“It is absolutely a wrong concept to relate a plant virus with animal/human virus. Plant cells and animal/human cells are completely different from each other and the infection and transmission process is different from animal/human viruses. Plant viruses lack the receptor for cell attachment and predominantly transmitted by insect vectors and very few by contact. Till date, there is no scientific evidence that a plant virus can infect any human or animals. Therefore, all these rumours are baseless and there should not be any apprehension among the consumers while consuming tomatoes,” said Dr Krishna Reddy, Virologist and Head of Division of Crop protection, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, (IIHR) Bengaluru.

However, as reported earlier by Sakal Times, the samples have been sent to the IIHR for conducting further tests. 

Dr Reddy said, “I can understand the farmer’s plight as their crops have been damaged and they are facing losses due to it. The test of the sample is under process and very soon we will diagnose the exact nature of the virus and these diseases and accordingly, farmers will be given advise for future crop planning and crop production."

Dr TK Narure, Head, Department of Plant Pathology and Agril. Microbiology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth Rahuri, said, “Scientifically speaking, viruses are obligate parasites and are highly host-specific. Being host rigid, they never change their host. Therefore, plant viruses can never infect human being/animals and vice-versa. Since the ancient era, there is no such single case that happened in nature so far.”

"The main plants forming our diet may contain many microbes. We eat salad, papaya, chilli, many more fruits and vegetables unknowingly harvested from infected plants but don't get infected. Therefore, it is scientifically proven that plant viruses can infect other plant species or family but not animals. Similarly, animal viruses can infect other animal species. Many times, viruses are so rigid with their host even in the plant also. For example, Papaya ringspot virus infects papaya but not chilli and Chilli leaf curl virus infects chilli and not papaya. Both are from plant groups even have a so rigid specificity,” he added.

Meanwhile, Horticulture Commissioner, Union Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi, Dr B. N. S. Murthy condemned the misleading claims made by the channels and said, "Tomato growers have already been affected by the disease while the Corona crisis, on the other hand, continues. The central government is supporting the farmers and cooperating with them. It is very wrong to spread such misleading news."

Meanwhile, he has also written a letter to the concerned TV channel asking them to immediately remove the relevant footage and give a proper explanation in this regard. The letter cites that the channel had shown a new tricolour virus that had appeared in the tomato belt of Maharashtra. However, the truth is that farmers are facing problem due to unidentified diseases. Secondly, the statement made by Channel that the effects of eating such diseased tomatoes would be more adverse than those of coronavirus is highly regrettable.

"Till date, however, there has not been a single instance of a plant virus infecting the human body. Because it does not have the organs to enter the human body. Currently, people around the world are in a state of stress due to the COVID 19 crisis. Therefore, this video should be removed immediately rather than spreading fear and pain among the people by spreading false, baseless information", added Murthy.

(With inputs from Mandar Mundale)

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