Re: Ack!!!! Bioterroism scare

Bolt Upright wrote:

> Lock up the children!  Innoculate your pets and livestock!  Call the
> National Guard!  Duct tape!  We need more duct tape!!!  Michigan Bulb
> Company is back in business!!! With "valuable offers" too!
>
> Excuse me for now - I'm expecting the HazMat crew any minute.
>
> Keith, WNY, zone 5
>
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Hello,

We might joke about the re-appearance of Michigan Bulb Company, but the
USDA is all their wisdom is now chasing after some Raustonia bacteria
(Southern wilt) which supposedly came on some ivy  geranium cuttings
from Kenya and were sent to a commercial rooting station in the
midwest.  Growers in a couple states noticed that their ivy geraniums
were getting some type of bacterial wilt and the source was traced back
to this infected shipment. Anyone who bought cuttings from the
particular rooting station during a particular intervals of time was
visited by state inspectors to see if any of their ivy geraniums were
infected. This particular strain is suppose to be virulent against
potatoes and peppers.

The odd thing is that outbreaks of the this strain of raulstonia has
been seen in the US for at least the past 3-5 years. but until now the
USDA had cared to take  very little action. What caused the reaction
this time is that raulstonia bacteria is identified as a possible
bioterrorism organism against plants.

We were visited last week and had to fill out a bunch of forms. The
incubation period is about 25 days at 70 degrees average. Its strange
that APHIS and the USDA  was pushing to allow rooted plant material with
soil to be imported  into this country about a decade ago and people in
the industry were much opposed for obvious reasons.


Now the USDA is singing a different tune.

Al Krismer
Cincinnati

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