First report of Elsinoë australis in the USA
In July 2010, the presence of Elsinoë australis (EU Annexes) was reported for the first time from the USA. The fungus was detected on lemon (Citrus limon) and tangerine (C. deliciosa) trees in private gardens in Texas (Harris county). Subsequently, E. australis was detected in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Arizona, mainly on urban citrus trees. As of April 2011, the entire states of Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas were delimited as quarantine areas for E. australis, and phytosanitary measures are being taken to avoid any further spread of the disease.
- Texas: first detected in July 2010 in Harris county.
- Louisiana: first detected in August 2010, in a single lime tree (C. aurantifolia) in a private garden (Orleans Parish). Subsequent detection surveys showed that 14 additional parishes were infected by E. australis.
- Mississippi: first detected in October 2010 in fruit samples collected from private gardens (Pearl River, Hancock, Harrison Counties).
- Florida: first detected in December 2010 in 2 fruit samples from a grapefruit tree (C. paradisi) at a campground in Lakeland (Polk county) and a bitter orange tree (C. aurantium) at a residence in Weston (Broward county). Subsequently, E. australis was also detected in the following counties: Charlotte, Hillsborough, Indian River, Manatee, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Sarasota.
- Arizona: first detected in January 2011 in a sample taken from a tangerine grove in Maricopa county, and shortly after in a lemon sample from Yuma county.
The pest status of Elsinoë australis in the USA is officially declared as: Transient, actionable, and under surveillance.
Sources
NAPPO Phytosanitary Pest Alert System. Official Pest Reports. USA.
- Detection of sweet orange scab (Elsinoë australis) in Texas and Louisiana (2010-08-23)
- Detection of sweet orange scab (Elsinoë australis) in Mississippi (2010-12-03)
- Quarantine areas established for sweet orange scab (Elsinoë australis) (2010-12-23)
- Detection of sweet orange scab (Elsinoë australis) in Florida and Arizona (2011-01-21)
- Update for sweet orange scab (Elsinoë australis) in Florida and Arizona (2011-04-04)