APHIS Establishes an Oriental Fruit Fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) Quarantine in Fountain Valley, Orange County, California

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2022-33
September 27, 2022

 To:  State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

On September 16, 2022, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) established an Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis or OFF) quarantine in the Fountain Valley area of Orange County, California. This action is in response to the confirmed detections of six adult male and two unmated adult female OFF from various sites in the Fountain Valley area by CDFA between August 15 and September 12; all were from traps in various types of fruit trees in residential areas. 

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from the area to prevent the spread of OFF to non-infested areas of the United States. In cooperation with CDFA, APHIS is establishing a quarantine area, which encompasses 100 square miles of Orange County. There is no commercial agriculture in the quarantine area. APHIS is working with CDFA and the Orange County Agricultural Commissioner Division to respond to these detections following program survey, treatment protocols, and regulatory responses. 

The establishment of this quarantine area is reflected on the following website, which contains a description of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas: 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ff-quarantine 

For additional information on the Oriental fruit fly quarantine area, please contact Fruit Fly National Policy Manager Richard Johnson at 301-851-2109 or richard.n.johnson@usda.gov. 

/s/ 

Dr. Mark L Davidson
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine