APHIS Expands the Sweet Orange Scab Quarantined Area in California

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FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA‑2025‑03
January 15, 2025

Subject: APHIS Expands the Sweet Orange Scab Quarantined Area in California

To:  State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective immediately, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is expanding the sweet orange scab (SOS) quarantine in the Santa Ana area of Orange County in California. SOS is a disease caused by the fungus Elsinöe australis. APHIS is expanding this quarantined area by 32 square miles. APHIS is taking this action because of a SOS detection in a plant tissue sample collected from a residential property in Orange County. This expansion does not impact commercial citrus.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures on the interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas in California. These measures parallel the intrastate quarantine that CDFA established on December 30, 2024. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of SOS to non‑infested areas of the United States.

The specific changes to the quarantined areas in California can be found on the APHIS sweet orange scab website. 

For additional information you may contact:

Abby R. Stilwell 
National Policy Manager
(919) 323‑6296
abby.r.stilwell@usda.gov

Daniel Murphy
Assistant National Policy Manager
(775) 221-9237
daniel.m.murphy@usda.gov

 

/s/

Dr. Mark L Davidson
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine