[7] Inside is a 9,428 nucleotide (excluding the poly(A) tail) positive sense RNA genome with an open reading frame of 9,261 amino acids.

[13] A virus was found in diseased leaves in 1972,[10] but the report was controversial because electromicrographs were not published and the results were not replicated for some time.

[14] Treating seedlings with benzylpenicillin and tetracycline fails to stop the disease, indicating that phytoplasma are not the cause.

[15][16] Twig borers such as Adoxophyes cyrtosema, Conopomorpha sinensis, Crytophlebia ombrodelta, and Hypatima longanae were eliminated as possible vectors or causes as the disease will manifest on branches undamaged by these insects, and the disease will also be absent from damaged branches.

[10] The disease is spread by litchi stink bug[10] (Tessaratoma papillosa, in the family Tessaratomidae) and longan psylla,[18] (Cornegenapsylla sinica)[12] and the virus was found in the salivary glands of those insects.

[15][19] Because of the insect vectors, it is possible the virus is related to one afflicting lychee,[19] and can be spread to that species via grafting.

[13] Longan gall mite (Eriophyes dimocarpi)[17] and the dodder Cuscuta campestris spreads the pathogen, as does infected pollen but not sap.

[12][22] Application of miticides like omethoate, dicofol, or colloid sulphur can dramatically decrease the spread of the disease.

[10] It was the first disease of longan ever reported in Hong Kong, and likely was introduced there from planting materials originating from Guangdong.

[13] Under a microscope, infected affected bud leaflets may have longer trichomes (hairs), but this may be caused by co-infection with mites and not the virus itself.