Citrus pest found in FedEx package in California as feds impose quarantine in 3 counties

Citrus pest found in California FedEx package

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California agriculture officials say tests are under way on at least 100 bugs found this week inside a FedEx package that could carry a deadly citrus bacteria.

Sacramento County agriculture commissioner Frank Carl says a Labrador retriever hit on a package sent from Texas that was supposed to be holding a piece of machinery. The inspector instead found curry leaves infested with nymph and adult Asian citrus psyllids.

In July, a sniff dog in Fresno also found curry inside a dufflebag at the FedEx facility. Psyllids in that shipment from India were infected with the bacteria huanglongbing, which has devastated Florida’s citrus industry and threatens California’s $1.6 billion citrus industry.

Orange, Imperial and San Diego counties are under federal plant-movement quarantine as the psyllid has migrated north from Mexico.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — State officials have placed a plant-movement quarantine on Orange County in hopes of slowing the spread of an invasive pest that can carry a disease fatal to citrus.

California Department of Food and Agriculture officials declared the quarantine Friday about a week after discovering the Asian citrus psyllid on a backyard lemon tree in Santa Ana. All citrus must now be commercially washed and packed before leaving Orange County.

The aphid-like psyllid had previously been confined to San Diego and Imperial counties, but officials found it as far north as Los Angeles County this week.

Psyllids can carry huanglongbing, an incurable disease that has laid waste to Florida’s $9.3 billion citrus industry and threatens California’s $1.6 billion citrus industry.