In a worrying but not unexpected development, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has confirmed that the same disease causing illness and death in Kanakana eels in the Mataura River in Southland, has been identified on a juvenile trout in a hatchery on the Taieri River in Otago.

MAF Biosecurity Response Manager Glen Neal says the Ministry is working to determine the exact strain of the bacterium that is causing the illness, but results are expected to take some time.

He says the detection of the bacteria in a trout is, unfortunately, not unexpected.

The trout is apparently the only fish  found to be infected amongst the thousands is in the hatchery where fish are raised to stock waterways for recreational fishing.

Otago Fish and Game Council Chief Executive Niall Watson is reported to think it likely the disease is going to spread through southern waterways.