Europe was a hub for the global spread of potato virus S in the 19th century

Highlights: • The coat protein gene of potato virus S has been evolving at a mean rate of 3.32 × 10⁻⁴ subs/site/year. • The crown group of potato virus S arose in the year 1325 (95% HPD 762–1743). • Potato virus S originated in South America. • There have been multiple migration pathways between Europe and other regions. • Europe has been a major hub for the transmission of potato virus S. Potato virus S (PVS) is a major plant pathogen that causes considerable losses in global potato production. Knowledge of the evolutionary history and spatio-temporal dynamics of PVS is vital for developing sustainable management schemes. In this study, we investigated the phylodynamics of the virus by analysing 103 nucleotide sequences of the coat protein gene, sampled between 1985 and 2014. Our Bayesian phylogenetic analyses showed that PVS has been evolving at a rate of 3.32 × 10⁻⁴ substitutions/site/year (95% credibility interval 1.33 × 10⁻⁴–5.58 × 10⁻⁴). We dated the crown group to the year 1325 CE (95% credibility interval 762–1743 CE). Our phylogeographic analyses pointed to viral origins in South America and identified multiple migration pathways between Europe and other regions, suggesting that Europe has been a major hub for PVS transmission. The results of our study have potential implications for developing effective strategies for the control of this pathogen.