The United States is seven counties away from doubling last year's soyarust total after a new case was reported on Wednesday in Mississippi, the Agriculture Department said on its rust-monitoring Web site.
The fungus has been found in 269 counties in 15 states this year. In 2005, rust was seen in 138 counties in nine states. USDA said the latest finding was in Covington County, which is in the south central part of Mississippi.
Soyabean rust, which can slash crop yields by up to 80 percent if left untreated, has been found this year in 42 counties in North Carolina, 28 in Arkansas, 24 in Florida, 24 in Louisiana, 23 in Alabama, 21 in South Carolina, 19 in Tennessee, 18 in Kentucky, 18 in Virginia, 16 in Georgia, 10 in Mississippi, eight in Illinois, seven in Texas, six in Indiana and five in Missouri.