Xylella fastidiosa is a vector-transmitted bacterial plant pathogen associated with serious diseases in a wide range of plants.
- It causes Pierce’s disease in grapevine, which is a major problem for wine producers in the United States and South America.
- X. fastidiosa was detected on olive trees in Puglia, southern Italy, in October 2013, the first time the bacterium has been reported in the European Union.
- Since then it has also been reported as present in France, Spain and Portugal. Controls are in place to prevent the bacterium from spreading.
