Internal Yellowing, a Bacterial Disease of Papaya Fruits Caused by Enterobacter cloacae

A disease of papaya [Carica papaya L.] fruits was observed in Hawaii [USA] in fully ripe fruits that was characterized by soft, yellow, discolored flesh with diffuse margins and an offensive odor. The causal bacterium was isolated repeatedly from diseased fruit, hot-water treatment tanks, papaya flowers, and the crop and stomach of the oriental fruit fly (Dacus dorsalis). On the basis of biochemical and physiological characteristics, the bacterium was identified as Enterobacter cloacae. Fruits became increasingly susceptible to E. cloacae as they ripened. Hot-water-treated fruits had lower disease incidence than untreated fruits.