After med-fly ban, US halts termite-tainted pineapples

New York.- US authorities seized a shipment of pineapples from Dominican Republic in February, after inspectors in the Port of Philadelphia allegedly detected termites in the fruits.

The incident comes just weeks after the US banned the entry of fruits from Dominican Republic, where the presence of the med-fly was detected in the East region.

The shipment arrived at the terminal Feb. 10, when customs and agriculture inspectors supposedly found the insects.

The US Agriculture Dept. told a local TV network that termites infest dry wood, on which several states sustained losses of around US$1.5 billion in damages to structures, mostly in Southeastern US.

Similar termites were also found in other fruits and vegetables from Dominican Republic on February 5, officials said.

All products were returned to the Caribbean country, where the government has yet to comment on the incident.