CDC EMBARGOES DRACAENA SHIPMENTS IN STANDING WATER

CDC EMBARGOES DRACAENA SHIPMENTS IN STANDING WATER

CDC EMBARGOES DRACAENA SHIPMENTS IN STANDING WATER

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has imposed an immediate embargo on Dracaena shipments in standing water.

   On June 14, the CDC was notified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Los Angeles office about several ocean containers that contained mosquito-infested shipments of Dracaena, or “lucky bamboo,” which were shipped in small boxes containing two to three inches of standing water.

   The CDC found the so-called Asian tiger mosquito, a species unknown to California, and other species associated with these cargo containers. The agency concerned about the public health threats these mosquitoes impose.

   Shipments of Dracaena with no standing water or mosquito infestations have been arriving in the United States from China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Costa Rica and other countries for about three years. These shipments are unaffected by the embargo.