Xylella fastidiosa

Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is one of the most dangerous plant bacteria in the world, causing a wide variety of diseases, with an enormous economic impact on agriculture, public gardens and the environment.

The bacterium lives in the xylem tissue of the plant and is normally spread by insect vectors that feed on the sap of the xylem vessels: the bacterium colonizes the cuticular lining of the foregut of the insect which in turn transmits it to a new host.

Symptoms associated with the presence of Xf in plants depend on numerous factors and vary widely from non-expressed infections to plant death.

In the European Union, numerous plants of high economic value (e.g. Olea europaea, species of the genus Prunus – plums, almonds, cherries) or widely distributed ornamental plants (e.g. Polygala myrtifolia, Nerium oleander) have been identified as hosts.

The risk of Xf spreading further is so high that it is crucial to implement stringent control measures immediately after new outbreaks are detected. Therefore, the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) has published a special alert to facilitate access to available data and ensure correct diagnosis of the bacterium and adequate emergency management.

* Patent licenses WO 00/28082, WO 01/34790, WO 01/77317, WO 02/24902, WO 01/34838 ** Industrial invention patent no. 0001425753 dated 09.11.2016