WEST PALM BEACH - The Florida Department of Agriculture added 51 square miles in Palm Beach County on Thursday to an expanding citrus canker quarantine area.
Property owners cannot take any fruit, leaves or wood from citrus trees from quarantine areas, which were expanded to include parts of Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and elsewhere in Palm Beach County.
Planting new citrus trees is also prohibited to help prevent the spread of the bacterial disease.
Citrus canker causes brown lesions on leaves and fruit, eventually causing the fruit to drop prematurely. It does not harm humans but does pose a threat to Florida's $9.1-billion citrus industry. The state is cutting down infected trees and other citrus trees within 1,900 feet, despite the objections of some homeowners.
The quarantine zone, which already includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, has now increased by nearly 115 square miles for a total South Florida quarantine area of approximately 1,115 square miles, the state said.
