A short review of the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

Objective and methods: This article provides a summary of studies on pine wilt disease (PWD). PWD is a serious threat to forests, and the damage caused by this disease results in significant economic loss. In addition, PWD adversely affects not only animals and plants, but also the human environment. Having a better understanding over all possible interference and control measures strategies derived from knowledge of the complicated interrelation between the nematode, its vectors and the host pine trees is a precondition to effectively reduce the damage caused by the pine wood nematode (PWN). The references in this paper were collected from various sources, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of knowledge before being organized by the authors. Results and conclusion: Most papers discussing PWD have been conducted on the East Asia and European Union regions. Specific topics covered include: (1) damage and invasion of pine wilt disease, (2) the developmental cycle and transmission, (3) diagnosis method for PWN related to PWD and (4) control strategies to limit the spread of PWD.