[2][3] The mite's ability to transmit a number of different viruses to cereal crops make it an economically important agricultural pest.

[4] In late June 2017 this virus was first detected in Canada, in Alberta.

[5] As Wheat streak mosaic virus is already present in Alberta, and coinfection with these two causes even more severe damage, this could cause much higher yield losses.

[6] The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, glycoprotein precursor, nucleocapsid, and P4 proteins of WMoV exhibited limited sequence homology with the orthologous proteins of other emaraviruses, while proteins encoded by additional genomic RNA segments displayed no significant homology with proteins reported in GenBank, suggesting that the genus Emaravirus evolved further with a divergent octapartite genome.

The genome of HPWMoV was shown to encode two suppressors of RNA silencing, to counter antiviral defense of the host wheat plants.