Farmers unwittingly threw away peaches bearing the tell-tale rings on infected fruit, not knowing that they were infected with the disease. The virus, first observed in Europe in 1932, was detected in a Pennsylvania peach orchard in 1999 and subsequently found in the Niagara region in the spring of this year. Adrian Huisman, manager of the Ontario Tender Fruit Producers Marketing Board, said that the disease has been in Ontario for at least 8 to 10 years.
Eradication is the only option at present.
It is likely that there are other sites in addition to the Niagara region, Essex County and Chatham in which infected trees will be found. The possibility of the virus having spread to British Columbia and other parts of eastern Canada is a real concern. The reader assumes all risks in using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID and its associated service providers shall not be held responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted or archived material.