An area covering a 5-mile radius from downtown Harlingen has been placed in quarantine by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) after discovering the bacteria that causes citrus greening disease. According to The Monitor, the bacteria was found at a house near the city.
The quarantine status prohibits citrus trees from moving outside of the quarantined area, unless authorized by TDA after compliance with certain conditions and regulations.
The local quarantined areas now include most of the Rio Grande Valley, along with a portion of Hidalgo, Willacy and Cameron counties—the primary citrus counties in Texas.
Although the disease poses no threat to humans, it has caused serious economic damage to the citrus business in Florida, Africa, Asia and South America.
A detailed map of the quarantine areas and additional citrus greening information can be found by clicking here.