Plum pox virus

Inspectors with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have started their 2024 survey as part of the agency’s ongoing monitoring and management program for the plum pox virus (PPV). The city of St. Catharines is one of several cities in Niagara region where the survey will be conducted. The survey is expected to conclude in Sept. 2024. 

CFIA inspectors will be going door-to-door to sample PPV-susceptible plant species and/or verify compliance with the current propagation ban, which prohibits anyone in the quarantine area from producing trees and plants that are susceptible to the virus. CFIA staff conducting the residential survey will have CFIA identification badges and will wear an orange safety vest so that they are easily identifiable. 

Specific areas of Niagara region and the City of Hamilton have been under federal quarantine since 2000. Regulations are in place to prevent the spread of plum pox virus outside of the quarantine area. 

What is plum pox virus? 

Plum pox virus is a serious plant disease that threatens the stone fruit industry in Canada. Plants that are susceptible to the virus include apricot, nectarine, peach and plum trees, and some ornamental shrubs such as purple leaf sand cherry. PPV does not affect human or animal health. 

How does it spread? 

Plum pox virus is transmitted from infected trees by aphids or by propagation activities (including seeding and grafting) using infected host material. 

What are the symptoms of plum pox virus? 

Symptoms of plum pox virus may include chlorotic ring spots on leaves and fruit, fruit deformity, decrease in fruit yield and early fruit drop. Symptoms are easiest to detect in the spring, but visual symptoms are not always a reliable indicator of disease, because they may not be visible until several months or years after the tree has been infected. PPV can be more reliably detected by laboratory analysis of tissue samples or by grafting test material onto highly susceptible hosts and monitoring for the development of symptoms. 

How is it controlled? 

There is no treatment for plum pox virus. Once a tree has become infected, the only way to prevent spread and to destroy the virus is to remove the tree and its root system. The use of virus-free propagative material at all times is crucial in preventing introduction to new areas. 

More information about plum pox virus can be found on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website. You can also contact CFIA at 905.938.5060.