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Poisonous feed may be cause of high deaths, cancers and low production in farmed fish in Nyeri County.
An analysis of fish feeds in the county shows up to 84 per cent to be contaminated with cancer-causing aflatoxins.
The report published on Monday by Egerton University, University of Nairobi and Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway, says affected fish are also a threat to human health.
Consumption of the fish containing aflatoxin residues, the study says could cause liver poisoning, liver cancer and even death in humans.
Despite Nyeri County government spending more than Sh99 million on fish farming, recent reports indicate the sub-sector to be performing poorly.
When these researchers visited fish farmers in Tetu, Kieni East, Nyeri Central, Kieni West and Othaya, they were told of high death rates, poor appetites, low growth rates and tumor-like growths in fish.
They then collected fish feeds from 70 farms and eight feedmanufacturing plants in Nyeri, for aflatoxin analysis.
Eighty-four per cent of feeds sampled tested positive for aflatoxins, with about 20 per cent being above the maximum safe level in Kenya.
Then the researchers, in the report appearing in the journal toxins had collected 120 fish from 12 farms in the county for further examination.
Laboratory and postmortem results the report says showed nearly half (45 per cent) of trout to have developed tumours in their livers suggestive of cancer.
These findings, the study says are suggestive of liver cancer usually associated with aflatoxin exposure. Up to 66 per cent of rainbow trout were diagnosed with such tumours compared to about five per cent of tilapia.
“Aflatoxin contamination of fish feeds is prevalent in Nyeri, and may be the cause of adverse health effects in fish in this region,” concluded the study.
Exposure to highly contaminated feeds, the researchers explain causes acute aflatoxicosis in fish characterised by pale gills, impaired blood clotting, anaemia, poor growth rates and death.
Feeds containing maize bran and fish meal had significantly higher aflatoxin levels than those without these ingredients.
The researchers, led by Evalyn Wanjiru Mwihia of Egerton University want fish feeds to be monitored for safe levels of aflatoxins.
“Similarly, aflatoxins residues in the fish need to be monitored to ensure that fish and their by-products are safe for human consumption.”
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