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Invasive cherry pest found in Detroit airport

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection says specialists have confirmed European cherry fruit fly was intercepted at the Detroit Metro Airport last month.

A five-pound bag of infested fresh cherries was found with a traveler arriving from Romania and headed to Fish Creek, Wisconsin. The region is a major cherry-producing area of the state.

European cherry fruit fly has only been confirmed in New York and several counties are under quarantine to prevent the further spread.

The invasive pest damages ripening fruit, causing it to rot and fall off the tree.