Aflatoxin Contamination in Fishes of Bihar Specially of Tribal Region

Fish is one of the favourable dish for non-vegetarian people and is considered important from the nutritional point of view. These days fish consumption is becoming more popular as it supplies a good balance of protein, vitamins and minerals and has relatively low calories. In some parts of Bihar, especially in tribal area, fish is taken mostly in dried forms. Recently attention has been paid on the contamination of different food with aflatoxin producing fungi, which causes considerable hazards to health associated with liver damage and carcinogenicity. The toxic effect of fish contaminated with aflatoxin drew attention when in 1960 an outbreak of hepatoma in hatchery reared rainbow-trout in Washington was traced to aflatoxin contaminated fish food. The accumulation of aflatoxin in food producing animals may pose a formidable public health problem. Thus, the present investigation was taken to find out the level of aflatoxin in different types of fishes of Bihar.