ALDEVAUX

Thank you very much for the information, Matt. I did not know about this new disease because I was not involved too much with forest pathology. I am pretty sure the disease will come on our way one of these days because it is almost impossible to control plant movement 100 %.
However, I d'ont think people should be TOO SCARY about getting the disease on bonsai because preventive measures are relatevely more simple on those trees than on trees that grow in forest or in a nursery, as I will explain.
Phytophthora is a well known genus for infecting plants especially in the vegetable family. Potato late blight is a well known examples. The fungus has been studied extensively and we know that it cannot infect plants unless the foliage or other parts remains wet for a long time. Phytophthora needs FREE WATER for zoospore and chalmydospore germination.
So, the best preventive measure for bonsai owners is to see that the leaves, bark or other plant parts of their trees do not remain wet for more than a few hours. During long rainy periods it should be easy to place the trees in a sheltered area until the sun shines again. Also, overhead misting should not last too long for the same reason. The preventive measures you mention are also good for most diseases.
Best regards, Alain