Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), previously known as citrus greening, constitutes the most economically devastating disease of citrus worldwide, being present in around 40 countries. HLB causes severe symptoms, depending on the age and the number of infections per plant. The disease is caused by the fastidious gram-negative α-proteobacteria Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), Ca. L. africanus, and Ca. L. americanus as well as some phytoplasmas. The bacterium propagates within the phloem of citrus plants producing die-back, yellow shoots, blotchy mottles on leaves, and off-tasting and malformed fruit. The ‘Ca. Liberibacter’ bacterium is transmitted by the psyllids Trioza erytreae in Africa and Diaphorina citri in Asia and the Americas. A variety of diagnostic methods have been developed to supplement or confirm field-based diagnosis of HLB however, end-point PCR-based and real-time quantitative methods are currently the most widely used methods in plant and insect tissues to detect and identify HLB- Liberibacters. 

For research use only and NOT intended for in vitro diagnostics.