Published

2025-12-31

Beyond regulation: Huanglongbing as a disease of interest in plant public health in Colombia

Más allá de la regulación: el Huanglongbing como enfermedad de interés en la salud pública vegetal en Colombia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/agron.colomb.v43n3.123468

Keywords:

applied data science, digital epidemiology, phytosanitary surveillance, phytosanitary risk management (en)
ciencia de datos aplicada, epidemiología digital, vigilancia fitosanitaria, gestión del riesgo fitosanitario (es)

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Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) and transmitted by Diaphorina citri, is one of the most devastating bacterial diseases in citrus worldwide. In Colombia, the ICA (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario, according to its Spanish acronym) has maintained official surveillance of the pathosystem since 2016. This study integrated institutional, empirical, and digital evidence to assess the phytosanitary status of CLas in Colombia within a plant public-health framework. We analyzed official surveillance records (2013-2024) alongside scientific literature, grower association materials, and Google Trends digital epidemiology data. Results indicated that CLas remained largely localized in the Caribbean region, with new detections in citrus-producing areas of the Andean region in the departments of Antioquia and Santander, while D. citri exhibited a much broader distribution. The HLB was reported across multiple host species and production contexts, including commercial orchards, backyards, and natural areas, and could act as potential reservoirs that facilitated spread within Colombia’s heterogeneous landscape. Digital data trend analysis showed that peaks for D. citri preceded official reports by two months, suggesting its potential as an early-warning tool. In contrast, interest in “HLB” was aligned with official data, but there was a need to reduce both spatial and temporal bias. These findings revealed HLB dynamics in Colombia and underscored the need to treat phytosanitary surveillance as a preventive public good, supported by multisectoral coordination and data science. The proposed framework integrated science, policy, and society, positioning HLB as a public-interest issue within the Plant Health paradigm.

El Huanglongbing (HLB), causado por Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) y transmitido por Diaphorina citri, es una de las enfermedades bacterianas más devastadoras que afectan a los cítricos en todo el mundo. En Colombia, el ICA (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario) ha mantenido una vigilancia oficial del patosistema desde 2016. Este estudio integra evidencia institucional, empírica y digital para evaluar el estado fitosanitario de CLas en Colombia dentro de un marco de salud pública vegetal. Se analizaron los registros oficiales de vigilancia (2013-2024), literatura científica, asociaciones de productores y tendencias de epidemiología digital de Google Trends. Los resultados indican que CLas permanece focalizado en la región Caribe, con recientes detecciones en zonas productoras de cítricos de la región Andina en los departamentos de Antioquia y Santander, mientras que D. citri presenta una distribución más amplia. El HLB se ha detectado en múltiples especies hospedadoras y contextos de producción, incluyendo huertos comerciales, jardines domésticos y áreas naturales, que actúan como reservorios potenciales que facilitan la propagación dentro del paisaje heterogéneo de Colombia. El análisis de las tendencias de los datos digitales evidenció picos de búsqueda para D. citri que precedían a los reportes oficiales en cerca de dos meses, lo que sugiere su potencial como herramienta de alerta temprana, mientras que para “HLB” se sincronizaba con los datos oficiales, pero con la necesidad de reducir el sesgo espacial y temporal. Estos hallazgos revelan la dinámica de la dispersión del HLB en Colombia y subrayan la necesidad de concebir la vigilancia fitosanitaria como un bien público preventivo, respaldado por la cooperación multisectorial y el uso de aplicaciones de la ciencia de datos. Este trabajo integra la ciencia, la política y la sociedad posicionando el HLB como un asunto de interés público bajo el paradigma de la salud vegetal.

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Castro-Susa, A., Díaz-Niño, M. F., Cortes-Quiceno, M. A., Zambrano-Gómez, E. M., & Ramírez Gil, J. G. (2025). Beyond regulation: Huanglongbing as a disease of interest in plant public health in Colombia. Agronomía Colombiana, 43(3), e123468. https://doi.org/10.15446/agron.colomb.v43n3.123468