Fish consumers 'should eat their carp well-done'

Fish consumers 'should eat their carp well-done'

Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Fish consumers in Jakarta and other parts of Java are advised
to take precautionary measures before consuming ikan mas (carp)
due to a recent discovery of the spread of herpes virus in carp
and koi breeding fishponds across Java.

Director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Studies at the
Bogor Institute of Agriculture Adil Basuki Ahza explained on
Friday that the virus that attacked the carp and koi -- referred
to as cyprinid herpes virus (CHV) -- could also attack the human
immune system if people ate them without their being cooked
properly.

Therefore, he suggested that anyone preparing the fish for the
dining table had better assume that all carp were infected by
herpes and consequently would have to cook them thoroughly to
kill the virus.

He explained that the virus could not withstand a temperature
exceeding 60 degrees Celsius.

"Thus, they would be safe to consume if the infected carp were
fried, roasted or cooked in boiling water," Adil told The Jakarta
Post.

Carp are widely consumed in Indonesia, while koi are kept
purely as ornamental fish.

Meanwhile, Jakarta-based veterinarian Fidiya Haya suggested
that consumers carefully check the state of any carp they might
wish to buy.

Fidiya explained that herpes-infected carp would have
extensive white patches on the gills and produce excessive mucus,
sometimes accompanied by bleeding or ulceration.

If consumers buy live carp, Fidiya added, they must observe
the behavior of the fish. Usually, infected fish have sunken eyes
and swim erratically.

Fish affected by herpes will die within two days to four days,
she said.

Meanwhile, director general of communicable disease control
and environmental health at the Ministry of Health Umar Fahmi
said that the herpes virus found in the fish was not
the same as that found in the human body.

"We do not yet know whether the virus is transferable from
animals to humans, like anthrax.

"Although there is no study on it, the public should know that
the virus is not contagious to humans. No virus can withstand
high temperatures," Umar told the Post.

Adil explained that anyone eating herpes-infected fish that
had not been cooked thoroughly could experience symptoms on their
skin such as itching or swellings, black spots, blistered skin,
or even suffer nausea or headache.

He suggested that a person suffering from such symptoms had
better consult a doctor.

In a bid to prevent the virus from spreading from Java to
other parts of the country, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and
Fisheries has banned exports of the fish from the island.

The ban will be effective for three months, during which a
team of experts will have to find ways to eradicate the virus.

"This is a complicated problem; therefore all stakeholders
should sit together to find a holistic solution," Adil suggested.