Country: United States

Title: Pennsylvania declared free of Plum pox virus (PPV) – Removal of Federal quarantine

Contact:
Stephen Poe, National Program Manager for Plum Pox Virus, (301) 734-8899

Report:

On October 29, 2009, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that through a successful 10-year partnership with the State of Pennsylvania, PPV has been eradicated from the entire State.

After the initial detection of PPV in Adams County, Pennsylvania, APHIS established provisions to address plant pest risk associated with the disease. Since that time, APHIS has been conducting eradication activities, in cooperation with the State of Pennsylvania.

Based on 3 years of negative survey results, which included all orchards and residential properties with host plants within the quarantined areas, APHIS determined that the State of Pennsylvania has met the criteria for removal of the last remaining quarantine areas for PPV in Adams County. The survey method included collection of leaves from host plants and testing for PPV using a standard ELISA test. Quality control and backup testing were done using PCR testing.

The Federal Order immediately removes the following quarantine areas for PPV: the State of Pennsylvania, Adams County, the townships of Latimore and Huntington.

PPV is the world’s most devastating viral disease of stone fruit species, such as peaches and plums. Infection eventually results in severely reduced fruit production and blemished, misshapen fruit. The disease is transmitted by a number of different aphid species and spread over longer distances by movement of infected budwood and nursery stock.

In 2006, PPV was detected in New York and Michigan. The detection of PPV in Michigan was from a single plum tree located at the Michigan State University facility located near Benton Harbor. This disease has since been eradicated and through trace-forward and trace-back investigations, no other areas in Michigan were found to be infected with PPV. PPV is currently present in Niagara, Orleans, and Wayne counties in New York. Survey and eradication efforts, in cooperation with the New York Department of Agriculture, are currently ongoing.

Under IPPC standards, Plum pox virus is considered to be a pest that is absent: eradicated from the State of Pennsylvania in the United States.

Posted Date: Oct. 29, 2009, 9 a.m.