Abstract
Double-stranded RNA and long, flexuous, rod-shaped virus particles (1,200 .times. 12 nm) were recovered from mealybug wilt-affected pineapple (Ananas comosus) plants from plantations in Hawaii. A purification protocol was developed, and the virus was partially characterized. Based upon its morphology, the molecular weight of the coat protein, and analysis of double-stranded RNA, we tentatively assign this virus to the type II closterovirus group.