FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2020-05
Feb. 27, 2020 To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials Effective Feb. 3, 2020, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) established a Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens or Mexfly) quarantine, which includes much of Cameron County, Texas. APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from this area. From January 14 to Feb. 3, APHIS confirmed 80 adult Mexflies and 14 Mexfly larval site detections from a variety of residential citrus and two commercial groves in Cameron County, Texas. Subsequently, February 4 to Feb. 11, APHIS confirmed an additional 17 Mexfly adults and 16 larval detections. APHIS, in conjunction with the TDA, is responding to these confirmed detections with the establishment of a quarantine area, which encompasses approximately 773.5 square miles of Cameron County. From initial detections in the Harlingen and Brownsville area, the affected area has expanded to include the La Feria, Los Fresnos, Rio Hondo, San Benito, and Santa Rosa areas of Cameron County. There are 3,952.4 acres of commercial citrus within the quarantine area. APHIS is working with TDA to respond to these detections following program survey and treatment protocols. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas of the United States. The following website contains a description of all the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ff-quarantine For additional information on the Mexfly quarantine area, please contact the Fruit Fly National Policy Manager, Richard Johnson, at 301-851-2109. /s/Osama El-Lissy
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
