In 1817 in the region of Santander, Colombia, a disease with symptomology that matches that of frosty pod rot was reported; therefore, many researchers believe the first known report of frosty pod rot of cacao was in Colombia around one century before the famous outbreak in Ecuador.
The discovery of a disease in 1817 in the Santander region of Colombia, with symptoms similar to frosty pod rot, provides strong evidence that the first known case of frosty pod rot of cacao occurred in Colombia roughly a century prior to the famous epidemic in Ecuador.