APHIS Establishes a Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata) Quarantine in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, California

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2024-38
September 13, 2024

Subject: APHIS Establishes a Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata) Quarantine in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, California

To: State, Territory, and Tribal Agricultural Regulatory Officials

On September 6, 2024, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) established a Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine in Alameda County, California. This action was in response to the confirmed detection by CDFA of a mated wild female Medfly in the city of Fremont on August 28, 2024, from a trap in an orange tree in a residential area. On September 11, this quarantine was expanded to include a small portion of Santa Clara County, following the detections between September 3-5 of two unmated wild female Medflies and one male Medfly, from traps in fig and persimmon trees in residential areas. The quarantine area encompasses approximately 83 square miles, including 49 acres of commercial agriculture production of various commodities.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Medfly to non-infested areas of the United States, as well as to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS is working with CDFA and the Agricultural Commissioners of Alameda and Santa Clara Counties to respond to these detections following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions.

The establishment of this quarantine area is reflected on the APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies website, which contains a description of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas. APHIS will publish a notice of these changes in the Federal Register.

For additional information on the Medfly quarantine area, please contact:

Richard Johnson
National Policy Manager
301-851-2109
richard.n.johnson@usda.gov

Avraham Eitam
Assistant National Policy Manager
614-205-4565
avraham.eitam@usda.gov

/s/
Samantha J. Simon
Acting Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine