Even though SPMMV is found naturally in sweet potato, scientists have been able to experimentally transmit the virus to different species including beets, sowbane, devil’s snare, makhmali, tomato, tobacco, petunia, and zinna.

[citation needed] The more time that the insect feeds on the crop, the higher chance they have of acquiring the plant virus.

[8] Whiteflies are mainly found in tropical areas, and have high populations in the warmer climates of the United States, Africa, and Australia.

[7] Although there is no concrete data yet on total yield loss of crops due to SPMMV, its effect is still very real to farmers.

Even though there has yet to be a large-scale outbreak of SPMMV in Africa, the disease still has the potential to destroy local farms that have dedicated their entire harvest to sweet potatoes.

Rural Sub-Saharan African women grow sweet potatoes near their homes simply to feed their families.

With all of this in mind, SPMMV does not have to reach catastrophic, epidemic levels for poor, malnourished, local communities to feel its effect.