Nursery update

To date in 2012, the US has had 32 P. ramorum-positive nurseries in seven states (CA-6; OR-11; WA-10; NC-1; ME-1; NY-2; PA-1) as well as 4 positive residential/ landscape detections (CA, OR, WA, ME). Positive plants included: Rhododendron (51%); Camellia (13%); Viburnum (11%); Pieris (7%); Kalmia (3%); Gaultheria (4%); Loropetalum (3%); Magnolia (3%); Hamamelis (2%); Cornus (1%); Prunus (1%); and Trachelospermum (1%). Seventeen of the positive nurseries are interstate shippers (CA-2; OR-7; WA-7; NY-1) and 15 are retail facilities (CA-4; OR-4; WA-3; NC-1; ME-1; NY-1; PA-1). Collection ponds were positive at 2 retail nurseries (WA, NY) and 3 that ship interstate (2-WA, 1-NY). Soil was positive at 1 retail nursery (CA), 2 interstate shipping nurseries (CA, OR), and 1 landscape site (WA). Ten interstate trace-forward investigations were conducted this year: three with potentially infected plants shipped to 24-30 states and seven with potentially infected plants shipped to 1 to 3 states. As a result, P. ramorum was detected at retail nurseries in ME and PA that were shipped from OR, and from three residential/landscape sites in OR, WA, and ME that originated in WA. Confirmed Nursery and/or Residential Protocols are being implemented at all locations.

From September 2012 COMTF newsletter