Country: United States

Title: Xanthomonas spp. (Citrus Canker): APHIS adds portions of Cameron County in Texas to the Domestic Quarantine Area.

Contact:
John Bienapfl, National Policy Manager, at 301-313-9223.

Report:

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is expanding the area quarantined for citrus canker in Texas to add portions of Cameron County near San Benito and Brownsville to prevent the spread of the disease.

On October 1, 2019, APHIS confirmed the positive identification of citrus canker in two residential trees in San Benito, Texas. On November 27, 2019, APHIS confirmed the positive identification of citrus canker in one residential citrus tree in Brownsville, Texas. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) completed delimiting surveys around the locations and found additional citrus trees positive for citrus canker in the Brownsville area. TDA established an intrastate quarantine area for citrus canker that parallels the federal citrus canker regulatory requirements specified in 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 301.75.

Under the current citrus canker quarantine regulations, the interstate movement of citrus plants and plant parts, other than commercially packed and disinfected citrus fruit, remains prohibited. Citrus nursery stock that is moved in accordance with regulations contained in 7 CFR 301.75-6 may move from areas quarantined for citrus canker.

The establishment of this quarantine area is reflected on the following designated website, which also contains a description of all the current federal citrus canker quarantine areas:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/citrus-canker

Under IPPC Standards, species of Xanthomonas that cause citrus canker are considered to be pests that are present, only in some areas in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas and subject to official control in the United States.

Posted Date: July 2, 2020, 4:20 p.m.