As my name implies, we are into growing Orchids.
Virus infections in Orchids is a major issue. Primarily it affects the orchid flower and causes 'color break' which means the flowers appear splotchy and sometimes deformed. Mostly the flower becomes more ugly each time a new one opens until we throws away the plant.
There is no known cure for virus.
Another virus symptom in orchid plants is stripes and/or creases on the leaves. Not a desirable variegation, but a deformity. Eventually the health of the plant deteriorates and the growth rate diminishes and the flower production drops.
Dirty clippers are the most common way to transfer virus from one plant to another. Orchid growers have learned to flame their clippers between uses. Bugs can transmit virus from one plant to another.
We have learned to throw away any suspicious plant. Test kits are available for several of the more common viruses. But there are too many kinds of virus and most do not show with the common tests.
@Baja made a good point: Mr Koong grew this cultivar without infecting other plants around it. So it probably is not a virus but rather some other genetic mutation.
Virus will always spread through contact.
