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Zeroes illustrate tiny odds of canker spread
By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE
Published July 10, 2006
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed a quarantine on Florida citrus, barring the ship-ment of fresh citrus to other citrus-producing states and territories. The reason: The risk of spreading canker was too great. It didn't matter that the USDA's scientists concluded two months earlier that it was highly improbable that canker could be spread by shipping fruit. How improbable? A 1999 study by Florida scientists said the probability of spreading canker by shipping fruit was one in 100-billion. Or using the USDA's probability figures, nine in 100,000,000,000,000,000,000. That's a lot of shipped oranges.
[Last modified July 10, 2006, 05:38:50]
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