Xylella fastidiosa in Europe: From the Introduction to the Current Status

Xylella fastidiosa is xylem-limited bacterium capable of infecting a wide range of host plants, resulting in Pierce's disease in grapevine, citrus variegated chloro-sis, olive quick decline syndrome, peach phony disease, plum leaf scald, alfalfa dwarf, margin necrosis and leaf scorch affecting oleander, coffee, almond, pecan, mul-berry, red maple, oak, and other types of cultivated and ornamental plants and forest trees. In the European Union, X. fastidiosa is listed as a quarantine organism. Since its first outbreak in the Apulia region of southern Italy in 2013 where it caused devastating disease on Olea europaea (called olive leaf scorch and quick de-cline), X. fastidiosa continued to spread and successfully established in some European countries (Corsica and PACA in France, Balearic Islands, Madrid and Comu-nitat Valenciana in Spain, and Porto in Portugal). The most recent data for Europe indicates that X. fastidiosa is present on 174 hosts, 25 of which were newly identi-fied in 2021 (with further five hosts discovered in other parts of the world in the same year). From the six re-ported subspecies of X. fastidiosa worldwide, four have been recorded in European countries (fastidiosa, mul-tiplex, pauca, and sandyi). Currently confirmed X. fastidiosa vector species are Philaenus spumarius, Neophi-laenus campestris, and Philaenus italosignus, whereby only P. spumarius (which has been identified as the key vector in Apulia, Italy) is also present in Americas. X. fastidiosa control is currently based on pathogen-free propagation plant material, eradication, territory de-marcation, and vector control, as well as use of resistant plant cultivars and bactericidal treatments.

Automated summary

Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterium that infects a wide range of host plants and has caused diseases in grapes, citrus, olives, peaches, plums, alfalfa, and other plants. It has spread to several European countries since its first outbreak in Italy in 2013. Currently, there are 174 confirmed hosts in Europe, with 25 newly identified in 2021. Four subspecies of X. fastidiosa have been found in European countries, and several vector species have been identified. Control measures for X. fastidiosa include using disease-free plant material, eradication efforts, territory demarcation, vector control, and resistant plant cultivars.