Animal and Plant Diseases and Pests of Concern
Section 12203(b) of the 2018 Farm Bill required APHIS to develop a list of pests and diseases that pose the most significant threat to U.S. agriculture. This section of the Farm Bill codifies many activities that APHIS already performs, including the development and exercising of emergency response plans.
Based on our years of experience and the latest science, we named 59 pests and diseases that warrant efforts at prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. The presence or absence of a pest or disease on this list doesn't preclude APHIS from taking appropriate actions to protect plant or animal health. If a threat emerges that isn't on the list, APHIS will respond appropriately.
| Common Name | Scientific Name/Causative Agent |
|---|---|
| African swine fever | African swine fever virus |
| Classical swine fever | Classical swine fever virus |
| Foot-and-mouth disease | Foot-and-mouth disease virus |
| Highly pathogenic avian influenza | Avian influenza virus |
| Low pathogenicity avian influenza (H5 and H7 subtypes) | Avian influenza virus |
| New World screwworm | Cochliomyia hominivorax |
| Rift Valley fever | Rift Valley fever virus |
| Virulent Newcastle disease | Newcastle disease virus |
| Common Name | Scientific Name/Causative Agent |
|---|---|
| Alder root and collar rot | Phytophthora alni |
| Almond witches' broom | Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium 16SrIX-B |
| Apple proliferation | Candidatus Phytoplasma mali 16SrX-A |
| Ash dieback | Hymenoscyphus fraxineus |
| Asiatic rice borer | Chilo suppressalis |
| Australian grapevine yellows | Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense 16SrXII-B |
| Bacterial blight | Xanthomonas oryzaepv. oryzae |
| Bacterial leaf streak | Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola |
| Bacterial wilt | Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 |
| Beech bleeding canker | Phytophthora kernoviae |
| Black maize beetle | Heteronychus arator |
| Bois noir; Stolbur | Candidatus Phytoplasma solani 16SrXII-A |
| Christmas berry webworm | Cryptoblabes gnidiella |
| Citrus longhorned beetle | Anoplophora chinensis |
| Coconut cadang-cadang | Cocadviroid Coconut cadang-cadang viroid |
| Cotton cutworm | Spodoptera litura |
| Cotton seed bug | Oxycarenus hyalinipennis |
| Cucumber green mottle mosaic | Tobamovirus |
| Cucurbit beetle | Diabrotica speciosa |
| European stone fruit yellows | Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum 16SrX-F |
| False codling moth | Thaumatotibia leucotreta |
| Flavescence dorée | Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis 16SrV-C |
| Groundnut bud necrosis | Orthotospovirus |
| Guatemalan potato moth | Tecia solanivora |
| Japanese oak wilt | Raffaelea quercivora |
| Japanese wax scale | Ceroplastes japonicus |
| Java downy mildew | Peronosclerospora maydis |
| Khapra beetle | Trogoderma granarium |
| Late wilt of corn | Magnaporthiopsis maydis |
| Masson pine moth | Dendrolimus punctatus |
| No common name, an ambrosia beetle | Megaplatypus mutatus |
| Oak ambrosia beetle | Platypus quercivorus |
| Oak processionary moth | Thaumetopoea processionea |
| Oak splendour beetle | Agrilus biguttatus |
| Old world bollworm | Helicoverpa armigera |
| Palm lethal yellowing | Candidatus Phytoplasma palmae 16Sr-IV |
| Philippine downy mildew | Peronosclerospora philippinensis |
| Pine processionary moth | Thaumetopoea pityocampa |
| Pine-tree lappet | Dendrolimus pini |
| Potato wart | Synchytrium endobioticum |
| Red ring nematode | Bursaphelenchus cocophilus |
| Rotbrenner | Pseudopezicula tracheiphila |
| Scots pine blister rust | Cronartium flaccidum |
| Siberian silk moth | Dendrolimus sibiricus |
| Silver Y moth | Autographa gamma |
| Small brown planthopper | Laodelphax striatellus |
| South American palm borer | Paysandisia archon |
| Sunn pest | Eurygaster integriceps |
| Tomato fruit borer | Neoleucinodes elegantalis |
| Tomato leafminer | Tuta absoluta |
| Wheat seed gall nematode | Anguina tritici |
Updating the List
Do you have feedback on the contents of this list? APHIS is seeking and reviewing comments on a rolling basis. If suggesting additions or changes, we ask that you provide references/documentation on how the pest/disease meets the definition of "likely to pose a significant risk to the food and agriculture critical infrastructure." We intend to review this list of pests and diseases on an annual basis and update it as needed.
Send your suggestions to APHISPestDiseaseList@usda.gov.
Other Pest and Disease Lists Maintained by APHIS
The list of Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases of Concern differs from the following lists:
- Veterinary Services High-Consequence List of Diseases - Veterinary Services maintains a list of foreign animal diseases and pests based on risk and consequences of introduction into the United States. This list is used to guide APHIS preparedness and response activities.
- National List of Reportable Animal Diseases (NLRAD) - The NLRAD list of diseases, agreed upon by State and Federal partners, ensures standardized reporting and information sharing for various animal diseases. The diseases are divided into two categories: notifiable diseases and conditions and monitored diseases.
- National Priority Pest List - The National Priority Pest List presents the national priorities for pest detection surveys conducted under the Cooperative Agricultural Survey Program. The Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases of Concern list is a subset of the National Priority Pest List.
- U.S. Regulated Plant Pest List - This list includes those pests that Plant Protection and Quarantine regulates under the authority of the Plant Protection Act.