Avversità fitopatologiche emergenti

The "emerging infectious diseases" (EIDs) are those caused by plant pathogens that, owing to the influence of different characteristics of the pathogen, of the host, and of the environment, are at the basis of epidemics, unexpected and very serious to some extent. Devastating epidemics able to affect the social texture of whole communities, and for which at an European level we can find only traces in the books of agriculture history, still occur with high frequency in the developing countries. In the present article some of the most important EIDs will be considered, with particular attention to those occurring in the Sub-Saharan African countries, describing their origin, characteristics, symptoms, modality of spread, possible control strategies, economic impact and the social-political consequences of their diffusion.