MOH has been alerted to another Whatsapp/SMS message being circulated today about Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection from the consumption of raw food, such as sashimi.
MOH would like to clarify that while our investigation found an association between the consumption of “Yu Sheng style” raw fish sold at food stalls, it did not find any links between GBS and eating sashimi. MOH would also like to highlight again that a significant downtrend in the number of GBS cases was seen from mid-July 2015, since licensed foodshop and foodstall holders were advised to stop the sales of raw fish dishes using Song fish and Toman fish
MOH would like to reiterate that GBS is a common bacterium that colonises the human gut and urinary tract. While GBS does not usually cause disease in healthy individuals, it may occasionally cause infections of the bloodstream, skin and soft tissue, joints, lungs and brain. The risk factors for GBS infection include underlying chronic or co-morbid conditions. As a general precaution, vulnerable groups of people, especially young children, pregnant women, elderly persons, or people with chronic illness such as diabetes, should continue to exercise caution by avoiding raw ready-to-eat food.
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