MI: PLUM POX VIRUS QUARANTINE LIFTED
News Date September 15, 2009
Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Don Koivisto announced September 14 the successful eradication of Plum Pox Virus (PPV) in Michigan. Effective immediately, MDA also lifted the PPV quarantine, which has been in effect since June 2007.
The quarantine was implemented after MDA inspectors detected PPV in Berrien County during routine disease survey activities. PPV is an exotic disease of stone fruit, which up until July 2006, was previously unknown in Michigan. This disease poses no human or animal health or food safety threat.
“This is a tremendous success story where MDA’s early detection and rapid response mitigated tremendous economic losses for producers and the state and prevented widespread losses throughout the stone fruit industry assuring continued production of these valuable crops,” said Koivisto. In cooperation with Michigan’s fruit producers, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Michigan State University (MSU), MDA conducted comprehensive sampling to ensure the virus had been eradicated from the state.
Additional information about PPV is available on the MDA Web site at www.michigan.gov/mda. (Contact: Jennifer Holton, 517-241-2485 or holtonj@michigan.gov)