Pierce’s disease of grapevines, a new threat to the wine industry in Southern Europe
Pierce's disease (PD) is considered a potential threat to european viticulture (EPPO a2 list of pathogens since 1981). In the usa, infections caused by the vector-borne bacterium xylella fastidiosa have caused recurrent damage to vineyards in California and the southeastern states. However, vineyards in Europe have remained free of PD until recently, when it was first detected on the island of Mallorca in 2017. The reasons for the absence of PD in continental Europe have not been convincingly explained.