After infection, bamboo leaves start showing yellow and brown streaks, and brown or black spots appear on the shoots and stalks. At that time it was called "brown-spotted blight" by locals. The infection causes hardening of fibers within the shoots, and reduces yields by 50 %. Because bamboo plants are grafted asexually, once a parent plant is infected by the virus, it will be passed on to subsequent generations.
竹子染病後，葉片上會出現黃化或褐化的條斑，竹筍及竹莖上則有褐色或黑色斑點，當時被稱為「褐條病」，竹子罹病後，會造成竹筍組織硬化、產量減少（約減產 50 %）等危害。