Five Suffolk County towns are now under quarantine because of Laurel wilt, according to News 12 New York, citing the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The station warned that trees showing signs of the disease may be infected with an invasive fungus.
Laurel wilt is a fungal disease that can kill trees and shrubs in the Laurel family, according to the report. The disease attacks plants in that group of species.
It is mostly spread by an invasive beetle, the station said. The insect carries the fungus as it moves between trees.
The DEC says the disease was first found on Long Island last summer in areas including Dix Hills and Green Lawn, according to News 12 New York. That marked its initial appearance in the region.
Since then, it has spread to Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Smithtown, the station reported. Those are the towns now placed under quarantine.
This is the first time the disease has been found in New York, according to the report. It is also the first time it has been detected anywhere in the country north of Kentucky.
Right now, there is no proven treatment for the disease, according to News 12 New York. The station reported the quarantine as officials work to limit the spread across Long Island.