Erwinia

[ ur-win-ee-uh ]

noun

, Bacteriology.

1. a genus of rod-shaped bacteria that are pathogenic for plants.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Erwinia¹

< New Latin; named after Erwin F. Smith (1854–1927), American pathologist; -ia

Example Sentences

The blight — caused by the bacterium erwinia amylovora — is native to the United States and predates the introduction of apple trees to North America.

From New York Times

Pirhonen, M., Flego, D., Heikinheimo, R. & Palva, E. T. A small diffusible signal molecule is responsible for the global control of virulence and exoenzyme production in the plant pathogen Erwinia carotovora.

From Nature

According to the CDC’s 2003 Guidelines for Infection Control in Healthcare Facilities, clinicians in a 1974 case suspected that a plant pathogen called Erwinia, identified in a newborn who died from septicemia, had come from plants in the delivery room, but no direct link was established.

From Wall Street Journal