This is the first occurrence of potato wart outside of Newfoundland and Labrador where a plant quarantine has been in place since 1912. Potato wart fungus is not a human pathogen and poses no threat to human health. It is a disease of quarantine significance that makes the potatoes unmarketable and reduces the yield.
Infected potatoes are safe to eat.
Potato wart is caused by a soil-borne fungus that attacks the growing points on the potato plant, such as eyes, buds and stolon tips. The fungus can remain dormant in the ground for as long as 40 years or more as resting spores. CFIA officials have been working collaboratively with the national potato industry including the P.E.I. Potato Board, scientists and provincial officials on a daily basis to share information. The Agency has established actions to address the concerns of Canadian producers and international customers. The CFIA considers this fungus to be limited to less than 0.4 hectares of a single field in P.E.I. For many years, P.E.I. has been a significant grower of potatoes.