Detection of Huanglongbing Triggers Quarantine in Imperial County; First HLB Detection in County

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have confirmed the detection of Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease, in one tree on a residential property in the city of Calexico, Imperial County, triggering a quarantine. This is the first HLB detection in the county and CDFA is working with USDA and the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner on response.

The detection triggers a mandatory five-mile-radius quarantine area around the find site to restrict the movement of citrus fruit, trees and related plant material, with the southern boundary of the quarantine area marked by the U.S.-Mexico border. USDA will work closely with Mexico’s National Service for Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA) to communicate associated quarantine implications in Imperial County. The quarantine area is bordered on the north by the McCabe Road; on the south by the U.S.-Mexico border; on the west by Rockwood Road; and on the east by Barbara Worth Road. HLB quarantine maps are available online on the CDFA’s Citrus Division’s website.

CDFA staff have treated and removed the infected tree in Calexico and are in the process of surveying all citrus trees within a 250-meter radius around the detection site. A treatment program for citrus trees to reduce ACP infestations will also be conducted within 250 meters of the find site. By taking this action, a critical reservoir of the disease and its vectors will be removed, which is essential to protect surrounding citrus from this deadly disease.

HLB quarantine areas currently exist in parts of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties, where more than 10,700 trees have tested positive for the disease and have been removed since 2012.

To read the full press release, please visit the CDFA website.