Missouri Warns You to Not Eat Fish Until You Check for This

The good news is this is not common, but there is a warning from the state of Missouri to everyone that they should not eat fish they catch until they check it for something first.

I saw this word of warning issued by the Missouri Department of Conservation. They say that in Bull Shoals Lake which encompasses parts of Missouri and Arkansas there are reports of a rare fish disease which hasn't been seen for years.

“Because of the recent case in Bull Shoals, which spans two states and has connectivity to a number of streams and other reservoirs, it makes sense to ask anglers to look for this disease in Missouri, too,” said MDC Sport Fish Ecologist Robert Weber in the press release.

How can you tell if the fish you catch in Missouri has Sandy Flesh Disease?

The danger is that the disease is not easy to spot on the external parts of the fish, but only become visible once the fish has been filleted and cleaned. The Missouri Department of Conservation says the fish will look like it's freezer-burnt just like the picture from the share on Facebook above.

They also say that large adult walleye are the most commonly affected fish in Missouri for this dreaded disease. If there's good news about this disease is that it's not known to be dangerous to humans and it's unknown if it can affect pets. But, fishermen are advised not to dispose of fish they believe are infected with this disease back into the waterways of Missouri, but to report them instead to the Department of Conservation.