Country: Mexico

Title: Medfly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied), Outbreak in a Suburban Area of Tijuana, B.C., México. - 12/20/2004

Contact:
M.C. José Manuel Gutiérrez Ruelas (55)5658-4034 jruelas@senasica.sagarpa.gob.mx

Report:

On September 17, 2004, five specimens of the Medfly were detected in the suburbs of the city of Tijuana, B.C., México.  The same day, the National Emergency Plan was activated to confine and eradicate the outbreak and included the following actions:

• Monitoring activities – The number of traps deployed (Jackson, C&C, yellow panel, McPhail and phase IV) were immediately increased in the area surrounding the outbreak bringing the total to 1,917 traps. Since the 18th of November there have not been any additional adults captured and since October 21 there have not been any detections of larvae.
• Fruit sampling –To detect larva, 2,500 kilos of fruit was collected from backyard trees
• Chemical control - One thousand and eighty-four gallons of GF-120 (Spinosad) was applied as a ground spray to 10,930 sites.  Area wide aerial spraying was conducted for 23,325 hectares at one gallon/hectare.
• Release of sterile flies - Forty million sterile flies are being released each week on an ongoing basis.
• Quarantine control - In the airport and at highways entering and leaving Tijuana, internal verification points have been established with the aim of preventing the spread of the pest beyond the area of confinement and eradication. As a result, 149,105 vehicles and 13.5 tons of fruit, which were hosts of the Mediterranean fruit fly, have been inspected.

Due to the timely monitoring, control and regulatory actions taken after the initial detection, the Mediterranean fruit fly has been eradicated in the Tijuana, B. C. area and only

preventative measures continue (preventive trapping, autocide methods and quarantine).

Posted Date: Dec. 20, 2004, 9 a.m.