[4] PLYV consists of a 36 kDa capsid protein[3] and a single-stranded RNA genome 4145 nt in length,[1] and causes progressive leaf yellowing and greenish circular spots on the fruits.

It is more likely that the virus was present in wild hosts and jumped to papaya plants once this crop became widely cultivated in that area (i.e. northeastern Brazil).

[3] PLYV is very stable and in one experiment was detected in dried roots and leaves maintained at room temperature up to 120 days.

[8] This shows that the virus has high stability in non living plant tissues, which further explains how it can be spread by human actions.

These include use of virus-free plantlets, eradication of virus-infected plants, disinfecting agricultural tools that have been exposed to PLYV, and adopting growing techniques that reduce human-assisted transmission of the virus.