Eight plant pathogens (five bacteria, two Oomycetes, and one fungus) are included on the list of Agricultural Select Agents, which was authorized by the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002. A Select Agent is a pathogen or toxin that is "deemed to pose a severe threat to animal or plant health or products." The current list of Select Agents can be found at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/programs/ag_selectagent/ag_bioterr_toxinlist.shtml.
 
Researchers who discover a new outbreak involving a Select Agent in the United States must follow the regulations of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The APS Publications Board adopted the following policy in July 2008:
 
Before a report on a discovery of a Select Agent can be submitted to an APS journal for publication, the detection of the Select Agent must be reported to APHIS according to APHIS Select Agent Regulations published at 7 Code of Federal Regulations Part 331.5(a). The full text of the regulations can be viewed by visiting
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/programs/ag_selectagent/index.shtml or,
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/programs/ag_selectagent/downloads/FinalRule3-18-05.pdf.  
 
The regulations require:
i) that the identification of the agent or toxin must be immediately reported to APHIS or CDC by telephone, facsimile, or email (see contacts below);
ii) that an APHIS-approved laboratory confirm the identification of the Select Agent; and
iii) that APHIS make the first public disclosure about the Select Agent.
 
APHIS-PPQ Select Agent Program Contacts:
Phone:  (301) 734-5960 (voice mail outside of business hours)
FAX:  (301) 734-3652
Email: agricultural.select.agent.program@aphis.usda.gov 

Authors should include sufficient information in their manuscripts, Plant Disease Notes, or Plant Health Briefs to demonstrate that these requirements have been fulfilled prior to submission.  Authors may contact the editor-in-chief of the respective journal for additional information.