The consumption of raw freshwater fish, a staple diet for millions of people in many parts of Southeast Asia, is coming under closer scrutiny after the detection of a foodborne hazard in several countries of the region, prompting a warning by food safety experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and others.

An invasive disease, known as Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Streptococcus agalactiae linked to the consumption of raw freshwater fish, has led FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific to publish a risk profile to raise awareness of the threat.