Moniliophthora perniciosa in Angola, Africa-the First Record in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Abstract

Moniliophthora perniciosa causes a destructive disease known as witches' broom disease of cacao (WBDC). WBDC has been responsible for major reductions in production or even total abandonment of cacao plantations in most countries that it has invaded. To date, however, the disease is known only from the cacao-producing regions of South America and a few Central American and Caribbean countries. It is not known from the Eastern Hemisphere and remains a major threat should it invade West Africa or Southeast Asia, where the majority of the world's chocolate production now occurs. In 2019, a pink pigmented mushroom was found fruiting from unidentified twigs in the Serra Vamba of Angola. The specimen was identified as M. perniciosa based on morphological and molecular analyses. Although Angola is not a major cacao-producing country, the presence of the fungus in the Eastern Hemisphere could be of global concern and may indicate the need for quarantine in Angola and vigilance in neighboring countries.