Country: United States

Title: Quarantine areas established for Sweet Orange Scab (Elsinoë australis)

Contact:
Phil Mason, Western Regional Program Manager, at (970) 494-7565; Leon Bunce, Eastern Regional Program Manager, at (919) 855-7360; or Deborah McPartlan, National Program Manager, at (301) 734-5356

Report: Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), is establishing quarantine areas for the entire States of Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas in response to detections of sweet orange scab, Elsinoë australis. APHIS is taking this action to protect other citrus-producing States as well as our trading partners from this disease.

The Federal Order outlines specific requirements for allowing the interstate movement of most fresh citrus fruit into all states, including citrus-producing states, from these areas. Fresh organic fruit from quarantine areas that display disease symptoms may only be shipped under a limited permit to non-citrus producing states.

Sweet orange scab is a fungal disease of citrus that results in unsightly, scab-like lesions developing on fruit rinds. The damage produced is superficial and does not affect internal fruit quality but can impact fresh fruit marketing. The pathogen can be spread long distances within infected nursery stock and other plant parts. Since late July 2010, APHIS confirmed the first U.S. detections of the disease in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Under the cooperative Citrus Health Response Program, APHIS is working with the affected State departments of agriculture to implement the provisions of the Federal Order to prevent further spread of the pathogen.

Under IPPC standards, Elsinoë australis is considered to be a pest that is transient, actionable, and under surveillance in the United States.
 

Posted Date: Dec. 23, 2010, 9 a.m.