The Department of Fisheries has revealed that the country has registered a single case of fish disease, Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS), since the start of the year.

The disease becomes common in the country's water bodies during cold weather conditions as its poles spread faster.
Principal Fisheries Officer in the department, Hassib Sainan, has told Zodiak Online this morning that the disease has been discovered at a fish farm in Zomba.

Sainan stresses they have developed measures to counter any possible escalation of the disease in hotspot water bodies.

"Compared to previous years, these cases are so minimal this year. We have only received one case of Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS) and that was in Zomba. We informed our colleagues from the department of animal health and livestock development who had a sight visit to the infected water body for treatment," said Sainan.

A fisheries expert based at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Professor Jeremiah Kang'ombe, while commending the department for the efforts made, has called for increased surveillance in the country's water bodies where fishing activities occur.

"This is a very commendable development, but I would like to advise the department of fisheries not to get too excited with this but to increase surveillance in water bodies including rivers and fish ponds," Kang'ombe.

The Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS) was in previous years recorded in South and North Rukuru rivers in the northern region, among other areas.