Country: United States

Title: Tilletia indica (Mitra) Mundkur (Karnal Bunt) – Removal and Addition of Quarantine Areas in Arizona, California, and Texas, United States

Contact:
Lynn Evans-Goldner, National Program Manager at (301) 734-7228

Report: Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the Karnal bunt quarantine areas in Arizona, California, and Texas.

Following completion of the 2009 Karnal Bunt National Survey, it was determined that certain areas in Arizona, California, and Texas meet all requirements of the APHIS Karnal bunt eradication program. Accordingly, restrictions on the interstate movement of Karnal bunt regulated articles from these areas are no longer required. In Arizona, three counties are affected by this change-- 5,094 acres in La Paz County; 13,237 acres in the Chandler/Gilbert area of Maricopa County; and 76 acres in Pinal County have been removed from the list of regulated areas in Arizona. The area in California that has been removed from the list of regulated areas includes 14,287 acres in Riverside County. In Texas, 5,919 acres in Throckmorton County and 11,836 acres in Young County are no longer regulated. Following this action, there will be no remaining Karnal bunt quarantine areas in Texas.

APHIS is restricting the interstate movement of regulated articles from select fields in the Buckeye/Pretoria area of Maricopa County, Arizona. These actions are necessary to prevent the spread of Karnal bunt to non-infested areas. During the 2009 survey of Karnal bunt regulated areas in Arizona, one sample was found to be positive for Karnal bunt. The sample was collected from a field that is adjacent to the current regulated area. As a result, the quarantine area in the Buckeye/Pretoria area of Maricopa County was expanded by 4,553 acres.

The Federal Order details the specific changes to the quarantine areas and is documented on the following website:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/kb/index.shtml

Under IPPC standards, Tilletia indica is considered to be a pest that is present, only in some areas and under eradication in the United States.
 

Posted Date: April 19, 2010, 9 a.m.