The Kingdom has imposed a temporary ban on the import of live catfish from South Africa due to a new suspected outbreak of the Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS) disease.

Announcing the move, the Ministry of Agriculture said the ban was initiated based on a warning issued by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) regarding the emergence of infections in catfish in South Africa.

Acknowledging the export of live catfish to the Kingdom, sources from the South African Embassy in Riyadh said that they were unaware of the ban on the product.

“We are unable to comment on the matter until we receive an official notification of the ban from the correct authorities,” they said.

EUS is also called “red spot” disease, and is an ulcerative disease in fish caused by a fungus that was first reported in Africa in 2006. EUS continues to present grave challenges to fish harvests due to the difficulties associated with its containment. If left unaddressed, the disease may disrupt floodplain ecosystems, disrupt or destroy subsistence fisheries and local economies, and will pose a direct threat to freshwater fish culture as it rapidly culls natural fish populations.

Not all cases of EUS are lethal, and some fish can heal, even if maintaining serious scarring, yet the majority of affected fish die as a result of the disease.

EUS is not known to cause disease in humans, however, it is recommended that people do not eat EUS-affected fish as water bacteria may leak into the flesh and infect the consumer.