Citrus Greening Detection Triggers Imperial County Quarantine
For the first time, the deadly citrus disease Huanglongbing has been detected in Imperial County.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture and USDA confirmed HLB, also known as citrus greening, in a single tree on a residential property in Calexico. The discovery has triggered a mandatory five-mile-radius quarantine around the site.
HLB is spread by the Asian citrus psyllid and affects the vascular system of citrus trees. It poses no threat to people or animals, but there is no cure for an infected tree, and the tree will die.
CDFA has already treated and removed the infected tree. Crews are now surveying citrus trees within 250 meters of the detection and will treat trees in that area to reduce Asian citrus psyllid infestations.
The quarantine prohibits citrus nursery stock, host plants and plant parts from being moved out of the area. Commercially cleaned and packed citrus fruit can still move under certain provisions.
HLB quarantines already exist in portions of six other Southern California counties, where more than 10,700 infected trees have been removed since 2012.
