Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on November 4, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
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France confirms its first case of the pine wilt nematode, a pathogen threatening local forests, particularly in the Landes region.
PARIS (Reuters) -French authorities have detected for the first time a microscopic worm that can ravage pine trees, extending the presence of the pathogen in Europe after it spread in Portugal and Spain in recent decades, France's agriculture ministry said.
Known as the pine wilt nematode, the organism originated in North America and causes trees to perish by stopping their resin from circulating.
The first French case was confirmed in the district of Seignosse in the southwestern Landes region, about 60 km from Spain, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The zone is considered vulnerable to the pathogen given its proximity to Spain and prevalence of pine trees in its forests.
France's overall forest area has expanded steadily in recent decades, though the authorities are concerned that a hotter, drier climate is increasing tree losses in some regions.
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host organism and derives nutrients at the host's expense, often causing harm to the host.
The pine wilt nematode is a microscopic worm that infects pine trees, leading to their decline by disrupting the flow of resin, ultimately causing the trees to perish.
Climate change can lead to hotter and drier conditions, which may increase tree losses and make forests more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
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