APHIS Removes the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in Edinburg, Hidalgo County, Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2019-26

September 17, 2019

 

Subject:           APHIS Removes the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in Edinburg, Hidalgo County, Texas

 

To:                   State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 

 

Effective August 28, 2019, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in the Edinburg area of Hidalgo County, Texas.

 

On March 14, 2019, APHIS and TDA established a Mexfly quarantine in a regulated area of Edinburg, Texas, restricting interstate movement of regulated articles from this area to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas of the United States. This action was necessary after APHIS confirmed detection of five adult Mexflies within three miles of each other and within a time period equal to one life cycle of the fly. Since that time, APHIS has worked cooperatively with TDA to eradicate the transient Mexfly population through various control actions per program protocols. Because of these control actions, the original Edinburg quarantine decreased in size resulting in the formation of two smaller quarantine areas – one in the vicinity of Edinburg and one in the vicinity of Mission. APHIS removed the Edinburg quarantine area after three Mexfly life-cycles elapsed with negative detections in this area. The Mission quarantine remains in place until the program reaches the same threshold of negative detections in the area, per program protocols.

 

The removal of the quarantine is reflected on the following designated website, which 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 Fruit Fly National Policy Manager Richard Johnson at 301-851-2109.

 

 

 

/s/

Osama El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine