G/SPS/GEN/1219  
7 March 2013  
(13-1257)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: Spanish  
 
  PHYTOSANITARY EMERGENCY DUE TO THE DETECTION OF 
CITRUS GREENING DISEASE (HUANGLONGBING, HLB) 
COMMUNICATION FROM PARAGUAY 
The following communication, dated 6 March 2013, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Paraguay. 
 
_______________ 
  1.  Pursuant to Article 6 of the Agreement on  the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures (SPS Agreement), Paraguay hereby notifies WTO Members that a 
phytosanitary emergency has been declared throughout national territory with regard to Candidatus Liberibacter spp ., the causal agent of citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing, HLB). 
2.  The phytosanitary emergency was notified in document G/SPS/N/PRY/24 ("Notification of 
Emergency Measures"). 
3.  In 2006, the Paraguayan phytosanitar y authority began phytosanitary monitoring 
work to ensure the early detection of HLB disease and the vector Diaphorina citri , and 
introduced the requirement to report the presence of any suspected symptoms of HLB ( Candidatus Liberibacter spp. ). 
4.  In 2008, the presence of Diaphorina citri  was detected in a species of the ornamental plant 
orange jessamine ( Murraya paniculata ). In 2009, it was detected in mandarin orange 
trees ( Citrus reticulata ). 
5.  In January 2013, the laboratory of the Pa raguayan phytosanitary authority confirmed the 
detection of the causal bacteria of HLB on the basis of 28 samples presenting characteristic 
symptoms of the disease (14 positive samples, from five departments in Paraguay, grouped into six outbreaks). Samples were collected  mainly from backyards and farm roads. G/SPS/GEN/1219 
- 2 - 
  
 G/SPS/GEN/1219 
- 3 - 
  6.  In order to protect national citrus fruit production, Paraguay issued Resolution No. 80/2013 
"Declaring a phytosanitary emergency throughout nati onal territory on the basis of the presence of 
citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing, HLB)", which ensures the adoption of measures throughout national territory to prevent the establishment and spread of the disease through the 
implementation of a national citrus greening di sease containment plan and relevant procedures. 
These measures include the following: 
 removal and destruction of infected plants; 
 intensive monitoring in the control zones surrounding the foci of infection; 
 restrictions on the movement of citrus propagation material; 
 ban on the production and marketing of plants of the species Murraya paniculata  
(orange jessamine) and on their movement between HLB-infected areas and 
disease-free areas; 
 control of the vector Diaphorina citri ; 
 declaration of and large-scale awareness-raising campaign relating to the emergency; 
and 
 implementation of citrus seedling certification programmes. 
7.  Resolution No. 80/2013 "Declaring a phytosanitary emergency throughout national territory on 
the basis of the presence of citrus greening dise ase (Huanglongbing, HLB)" is available in Spanish 
at http://www.senave.gov.py  or from hlb@senave.gov.py, ucii.dgp@mag.gov.py or 
notificación.msf@mag.gov.py. 
8.  Lastly, Paraguay wishes to state that this communication is being made for purposes of 
transparency within the framework of the SPS Agreement. 
__________