It is considered to be an endemic virus in greenhouses and field productions of Cucurbitaceae crops, including melon (Cucumis melo), cucumber (Cucumbis sativus), and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

MNSV is mainly spread through infected soil, seedlings, insects, and by the root-inhabiting fungus vector Olpidium bornovanus Symptoms vary between Curbitaceae crops, but generally consist of chlorosis, brown necrotic lesions, leaf wilt, fruit decay, and plant death.

MNSV is important in melon plants as it causes vast economical damage worldwide reducing significant yields.

MNSV has been found to have a very narrow host range, restricted to members of the family Cucurbitaceae.

The fruit may become misshaped with the melon flesh becoming discolored and brown ring rot becoming evident.

[1] In melons, such as rockmelon, muskmelon, and cantaloupe, MNSV produces necrotic lesions on the leaves and/or cotyledons.

[citation needed] Overall, infection of the crop will produce small chlorotic spots on the leaves, stems, and/or cotyledons, which turn brown while enlarging in size.

Symptoms are visible during the spring and autumn seasons due to MNSV requiring higher humidity with specific temperature ranges.

Control of the Olipidium vector can be obtained via soil sterilization with steam or methyl bromide.

In order to eradicate MNSV in melon seeds without hindering germination, heat treatment of 144 hours at 70°C is necessary.

Both exhibit a single recessive gene, nsv, which is reported to control the only resistance found to MNSV in melon.

[12] Although MNSV is not well known, it has produced major outbreaks leading back to the first studies of the virus in 1966 in Japan.

Fortunately the fruits of these plants did not display any symptoms although there was definite reduction in crop yield.

[13] More recently researchers have discovered a non-systemic strain of MNSV on cucurbitaceous plants in a 2008 study.

[14] For over four decades, this pathogen has proven to be important due to the agricultural community’s lack of knowledge on MNSV as well its ability to wipe out over 60% of the crop yield as discovered during the Humberside incident.