The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Rumours of virus add to woes of fishermen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 02, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Rumours of virus add to woes of fishermen

By Staff Reporter

The Chintadripet fish market wears a deserted look following rumours that a variety of fishes were infected in the wake of the tsunami. — Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI, JAN. 1. "Very dangerous zulican virus is being spreading through sea food. So please avoid eating sea foods."

This SMS (Short Messaging Service), which has been doing the rounds in the city over the last two days, has added to the woes of the fishing community. At Kasimedu, Anees Raj (10) and Ajith (8), rattle off the names of fish that were not being sold in the market — soorai, kavalai, sankara, parai, ira, nethili, vavaal, vanchiram, seedai. The fish has been stored in ice since the tsunami ravaged the coastline on Sunday. But no one wants to buy them.

"We can't go out and nobody wants to buy because they saw dead bodies floating in the sea," says Bhavani, a local fisherwoman. Mary. A of Kalmandapam, has decided not to risk buying fish.

"The fish would have eaten parts of the dead bodies and there could be some infection if we eat them."

Infection is not likely if you are eating the fish that was caught before the water came to the land, according to N. Balaraman, vice-chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. "If the fish is edible and hasn't gone stale, there is no need to panic."

Provided it is well-preserved, adds biotechnology professor, P. Ramasamy of Madras University.

What stumps him is the bit about the zulican virus. "I've never heard of it."

A report from "Manorama Online" quoted K. Devadasan, technology director of the Kochi-based Central Institute of Fisheries, as saying that fish and other seafood were safe for consumption and his colleagues had not found any `zulican' virus so far.

Another web site, "Thestaronline", quotes the Malaysian Medical Association as saying that the virus did not exist after some variations of the messages cited the MMA as the source of the alert.

People will be safe as long as they do not eat the decaying fish washed ashore during the tsunami, according to the MMA.

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