SRS
Bacterial
🔴 Fatal
🔔 OIE Notifiable
💉 Vaccine Available
Piscirickettsiosis
🦠 Piscirickettsia salmonis · Piscirickettsiaceae
📋 Definition
A salmonellosis-like rickettsial disease of salmonids caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis, causing systemic infection and high mortality.
📊 Key Facts
Causative Agent
Piscirickettsia salmonis
Agent Family
Piscirickettsiaceae
Geographic Range
Chile (primary), Norway, Canada, Scotland
Transmission Routes
Water-borne, horizontal
Primary Host
Atlantic Salmon, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout (Chile)
Economic Impact
Largest disease cost to Chilean salmon industry — >US$100M/year
🩺 Clinical Signs
Pale gills, lethargy, pale/mottled liver, haemorrhagic kidney, ulcerative skin lesions, exophthalmia.
🔬 Symptoms
🔬
Pale mottled liver
Hepatic Subacute
🔬
Haemorrhagic kidney
Renal Acute
🔬
Ulcerative skin lesions
Integumentary Subacute
🧪 Diagnosis
PCR (gold standard), immunofluorescence, culture in fish cell lines (difficult).
💊 Treatment
ℹ️ Treatment options are limited. Consult a qualified fish health professional.
Florfenicol and oxytetracycline (limited efficacy due to intracellular location). High antibiotic use in Chilean industry.
🛡️ Prevention
ℹ️ Prevention is the most effective strategy for managing this disease in aquaculture and aquarium settings.
Vaccination (limited efficacy), biosecurity, site fallowing.