Sewage-contaminated water is even more harmful for wildlife than previously thought. “Decaying fish can act as a sink for the spread of harmful bacteria to scavenging fish and birds. Fish caught in areas downstream of effluent outlets may also pose a health risk to anglers”, says Dr Paul Craig whose research team from the University of Waterloo, Canada is the first to examine the effects of the bacterial necrobiome on fish exposed to wastewater.