SAN FERNANDO VALLEY : Huge Area Quarantined After Fruit Fly Discovery
State agriculture officials Thursday established a quarantine area for a huge swath of the San Fernando Valley where infestations of the Oriental fruit fly have been discovered.
The quarantine covers a 55-square-mile area that includes all of Sherman Oaks and parts of Studio City, North Hollywood, Valley Village, Encino and Van Nuys, state officials said.
State agriculture workers found 15 Oriental flies in Sherman Oaks this week and identified fly larvae in fruit on nine properties, said Myrlys Hollis, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture.
A quarantine means that residents are prohibited from taking fruits and vegetables out of the area, and commercial growers and vendors are under strict regulations to prevent the fly from spreading to other regions.
Seven Oriental fruit flies were discovered in Buena Park, Anaheim and Santa Ana in Orange County last month.
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