History of banana bunchy top in Hawaii
  • Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) has been a threat to Hawaii bananas since it was first reported in 1989
  • Banana bunchy top disease occurs on at least four of the main Hawaiian islands; Oahu, Hawaii, Kauai and Maui
  • The disease was first spotted in Punaluu (Oahu) in 1989, and has become widespread on the island of Oahu. From Oahu, the disease appears to have spread to the neighbor islands, as shown in the table below.
  • Banana bunchy top is not reported to occur on the islands of Molokai or Lanai as of April 2005.

General Chronology of the BBTD Epidemic in Hawaii
Island Date Location of outbreak Regulatory Action(s) by HDOA
Oahu 1989-July Punaluu  
Hawaii 1995-Oct. North Kona Keaau, North Kohala
Kauai 1997-Sept. Kilauea Town Quarantine, eradication effort
Kauai 2000-Apr. Kapahi  
Kauai 2000-Apr. Kilauea Town  
Maui 2002-Dec. Pukalani Containment
Hawaii 2004-Apr. Keaau, North Kohala Containment

Click below for more details on BBTD history in Hawaii as provided by HDOA press releases and newspaper articles
BBTD press releases (1999-2004)

For historical interest:

1999 Declaration of War Against Bunchy Top Memorandum
Photographs are courtesy of the University of Hawaii and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture


Maintained by Scot Nelson: snelson@hawaii.edu
Last Revised on September 12, 2006