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Health
Bihar govt advises public to shun unfamiliar fish from Nepal’s flood waters
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 02 Sep 2026, 05:38 AM
👁 2
The Bihar government has warned residents to avoid eating fish that are unfamiliar or look unusual after they entered the state via flood waters from Nepal.
The state health department of Bihar issued an advisory on Monday urging people to refrain from consuming any fish that appear unfamiliar or atypical after recent floods carried water from Nepal into the region. Officials said the surge of floodwater has introduced fish species not normally found in Bihar's rivers and lakes, raising concerns about potential health risks.
The advisory stresses that unknown fish may carry parasites, toxins or bacterial infections that could affect human health. It recommends that consumers purchase fish only from verified markets and vendors, and that any caught fish be examined by local fisheries officers before cooking.
Health officials have also instructed local authorities to increase monitoring of fish supplies in affected districts and to conduct awareness campaigns in villages near the flood-affected waterways. The department will issue further guidelines if new information about specific species emerges.
The advisory stresses that unknown fish may carry parasites, toxins or bacterial infections that could affect human health. It recommends that consumers purchase fish only from verified markets and vendors, and that any caught fish be examined by local fisheries officers before cooking.
Health officials have also instructed local authorities to increase monitoring of fish supplies in affected districts and to conduct awareness campaigns in villages near the flood-affected waterways. The department will issue further guidelines if new information about specific species emerges.