Juba, South Sudan
December 21, 2021—The Ministry of Livestock & Fisheries and United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) have sent a team of experts to Aweil, the capital of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State, in response to a new disease affecting fish in that area.
Last week, authorities in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State cautioned residents of Aweil Central and West not to eat fish affected by un anonymous disease in the Lol River.
This occurs after fishermen in the area have discovered wounds on bodies of the fish they caught from the river.
In a statement obtained by Nyamilepedia, one of the Aweil residents, who identified himself as Okech, said the river connecting Aweil West and Aweil Central Counties seems to have been contaminated but the one who did that remains unknown so far.
The authorities in Aweil ordered fishermen to remove all their fishing nets and hooks from the river until experts establish the cause of the infection affecting fish.
According to a statement shared on FAO Twitter handle, preliminary investigations strongly suggest the disease is Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome also known as mycotic granulomatosis (MG) or red spot disease (RSD).
The brief statement however, did not indicate when the specialists are expected to release the final results and recommendations regarding this challenge.
According to experts, Epizootic ulcerative syndrome is a disease caused by the water mould Aphanomyces invadans. It’s known to infect many freshwater and brackish fish species in the Asia-Pacific region and Australia.
