Identification and complete genome sequence of a new carlavirus from Carica papaya in Jordan

A novel carlavirus was discovered in Carica papaya by high-throughput sequencing of a sample collected during field surveys in 2022 in the Jordan Valley, Jordan. The complete genome sequence of 9,169 nt exhibited the typical organization of members of the genus Carlavirus, including a predicted ORF6. Alignment of coat and replication protein aa sequences revealed the closest identity (~94% and ~69%, respectively) to a cucumber vein-clearing virus (CvCV) isolate. According to the ICTV demarcation criteria based on sequence identity values, the virus is a putative new member of the genus Carlavirus, for which the common name "papaya virus B" is proposed. In field surveys, the virus was detected in 20 out of 38 papaya samples with evident virus-like symptoms collected from five fields in the Jordan Valley, showing the occurrence of infections with this novel carlavirus in different cultivated areas.