Enteric Redmouth Disease ERM is caused by the bacterial pathogen Yersinia ruckeri. The first instances of the disease were reported in Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in the USA in the 1950s. Subsequent clinical outbreaks occurred in the UK in 1982 and in most other parts of Europe over the following few years. It is now endemic in all trout producing countries where it can cause severe economic losses. It is also becoming a more significant pathogen of farmed salmon, primarily in freshwater but it has been reported to cause losses in the sea as well. According to estimates from within the British Trout Association in 1998, the cost of ERM in the UK trout industry alone was approximately 1.31.5 million per year. This figure is based on the costs of mortality, growth penalties and subsequent reduction in feed conversion rate, grading problems, withdrawal periods due to antibiotic treatments and subsequent harvesting delays as a result of the disease. This can be calculated as 10 of the production cost of the industry. Extrapolating these figures to the European trout industry producing 200,000 tons per year indicates ERM causes a potential economic loss of 20 million each year.

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