An investigation into the prevalence of Renibacterium salmoninarum in farmed rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), and wild fish populations in selected river catchments in England and Wales between 1998 and 2000.

A cross-sectional survey of Renibacterium salmoninarum infection in farmed rainbow trout (RBT) and wild fish populations was carried out in 10 farms and six river catchments, respectively, in England and Wales. The majority of the wild fish were sampled in 1998 and the farmed fish in 2000. Grayling, Thymallus thymallus, and brown trout, Salmo trutta, were the main wild species sampled. Two fish, one grayling and one salmon, Salmo salar, were R. salmoninarum culture-positive, compared with 40 confirmed polymerase chain reaction-positive wild fish. The highest prevalence of R. salmoninarum infection was found in grayling in rivers with RBT farms with a history of R. salmoninarum infection. One hundred and fifty fish were sampled from each RBT farm, but none of the fish was found to be R. salmoninarum-positive. Evidence was found, for the first time, for the presence of R. salmoninarum in an eel, Anguilla anguilla.