Name: Erwinia billingiae Mergaert et al. 1999

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: bil.ling’i.ae. N.L. gen. fem. n. billingiae, of Billing, named after Eve Billing, who first isolated these organisms

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: er-WI-ni-a bil-LIN͡G-i-a͡e, feminine

Type strain: Billing E63; CIP 106121; DSM 17872; LMG 2613; NCPPB 661

See detailed strain information at

16S rRNA gene: JN175337 Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: Mergaert J, Hauben L, Cnockaert MC, Swings J. Reclassification of non-pigmented Erwinia herbicola strains from trees as Erwinia billingiae sp. nov. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1999; 49:377-383. 🇧🇪

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 49, part 2 of the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1999; 49:937-939.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name (and explicitly recommended for medical use)

Risk group: 1

• Notes:
  • 📧 The e-mail address of the corresponding author given in the effective publication is not functional any more.
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 1". — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2026-08-13. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "+, p". — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 22 times in PubMed until 2026-06-11.
  • 🪓 Organisms assigned to this species have previously been classified as Erwinia herbicola (Löhnis 1911) Dye 1964 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Dye DW. The taxonomic position of Xanthomonas trifolii (Huss, 1907) James, 1955. New Zealand Journal of Science 1964; 7:261-269. Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.
  • 🫡 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of the genus. This name is not taxonomically suspended any more in favour of Erwinia herbicola (Löhnis 1911) Dye 1964 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Dye DW. The taxonomic position of Xanthomonas trifolii (Huss, 1907) James, 1955. New Zealand Journal of Science 1964; 7:261-269. Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.
  • 🧍 Erwinia billingiae was previously known as Erwinia-like isolates or as DC isolates of Billing and Baker or as strains of phenon 11 of Verdonck et al. Publication: Winslow CE, Broadhurst J, Buchanan RE, Krumwiede C, Rogers LA, Smith GH. The Families and Genera of the Bacteria: Final Report of the Committee of the Society of American Bacteriologists on Characterization and Classification of Bacterial Types. J Bacteriol 1920; 5:191-229.

Parent taxon: Erwinia Winslow et al. 1920 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Mergaert J, Hauben L, Cnockaert MC, Swings J. Reclassification of non-pigmented Erwinia herbicola strains from trees as Erwinia billingiae sp. nov. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1999; 49:377-383. 🇧🇪

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Record number: 776011