Correspondence Between The Tasmanian And Australian CVO Regarding Piscirickettsia Salmonis.

Written by Claude Haiku 4.5 from the extracted text on 28 Feb 2026. It can miss or misread redacted and scanned pages. Check the source before relying on it.

In April 2024, Tasmania's Chief Veterinary Officer informed the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer of a probable detection of *Piscirickettsia salmonis* in Atlantic salmon farms. The pathogen was identified as closely related to the established Tasmanian Rickettsia-Like Organism (TRLO), for which four recognised serotypes exist with available vaccines. The Tasmanian CVO assessed minimal trade implications for domestic and international markets, with the exception of potential export restrictions on fertile fish eggs pending further advice. The detection was attributed to increased surveillance sensitivity ("the more you look – the more you find") and noted that existing East Coast serotype vaccines may provide cross-protection against this newly identified pathogen.