Technical Abstract: In general, potato is an intensively managed crop, requiring irrigation, fertilization, and frequent pesticide applications in order to obtain the highest yields possible. In the past, breeding programs focused primarily on improving yield and ignored the many diseases that can afflict potatoes, especially viral diseases. Viral diseases of potato can cause severe yield losses, effect tuber quality in a manner that prevents marketability, and are easily transmitted through tubers and vegetative propagation of the plants. Tubers play an important role in the spread of virus disease and this has led many regions to develop seed certification programs. The most important viruses in the USA include Potato virus Y (PVY) Potato leafroll virus (PLRV), Potato virus X (PVX), Potato virus S (PVS), tobacco rattle virus (TRV), and alfalfa mosaic virus (AlMV). The purpose of this review is to discuss the recent findings related to potato virus characterization and identification of resistance traits in potato germplasm.