"mike bush" wrote in message
...
Loquats are susceptible to fire blight. I believe many rose related
fruit trees are too. It is bacterial in nature and can be spread with
pruners.( clean with alcohol)
Do a web search for fire blight. I think they treat it with copper.
take care
Mike
Oakland
sunset 17


Thanks for information, from what I have read the signs do look like fire
blight.

My searching suggests that disease has not been found in Australia (except I
think for a very isolated outbreak in 1997 that was controlled). Most of
the hits I got go on about the risk of it entering the country and the
disputes about the severity of quarantine regulations that are designed to
keep the bacterium out.

Australia is thankfully free of many plant and animal diseases and for this
reason people get VERY touchy about the subject. I think if there had been
any recent reports of it in Oz there would have been huge headlines - which
are not evident.

Do you have any other thoughts as to what it might be?

David