Emerging threat of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in fish – now in 4 languages

Upon detection of the Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in freshwater fish in several countries in Asia, FAO published a risk profile to raise awareness about the threat.

Masami Takeuchi, FAO Food Safety Officer, said many people aren’t aware of the risks associated with consuming raw freshwater fish, which is very common in Southeast Asia. “But the disease this practice can cause can be serious, though not always obvious, nor immediate, and in some cases that can make it difficult to diagnose and treat in time,” Takeuchi said.

Outside of Singapore where the first large-scale outbreak from consumption of raw fish has been reported, invasive GBS ST283 disease is found various places in Asia. Researchers are also looking into the countries beyond the region, including Africa, Europe and North and South America to conduct numerous typing studies, as it is possible that GBS ST283 cases have been extremely under-reported. To achieve further outreach, FAO has published the relevant documents in a total of four languages: English, Spanish, Chinese and Portuguese. They can be downloaded from the below links.

Source: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations