Residents of a town in Namibia's north have been advised not to consume fish that has been swept up by floodwater and is thought to be infected.

According to officials cited in local media accounts, an epidemic of a fungal disease is thought to have killed the fish.

The Ohangwena region, which is close to the border with Angola, has been receiving a lot of rain.

Samples of the fish have been taken for analysis and residents will be informed at a later stage about when it's to start eating fish again, chief fisheries biologist Elizabeth Ndivayele is quoted as saying.

Residents told journalists that they had made a fortune from selling some of the fish.