Fatal bacterium in fish tanks
- Thread starter PwNz I R COLE
- Start date
Ha! I found it for those who would like to know more.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51963
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http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51963
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
I have a question for you guys, I don't use anti bacterial soap before putting my hands in, only wash with really really hot water because I'm paranoid some soap will make it into the tank somehow.
Am I just being too careful haha
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Am I just being too careful haha
Sent from my DROID4 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
You can't be too careful when it comes to your fish getting into contact with substances they are not meant to.
Lol. that show will keep you from traveling. such creepy parasites from a lil fly, mosquito or sand flea. next thing you know worms are crawling across your eyes and burrowing through muscle like sci fi creatures.
Hey living in a plastic bubble isn't all that its cracked up to be.
Common sense tells you you shouldn't drink your tank water as your primary source of hydration. But come on people...
Common sense tells you you shouldn't drink your tank water as your primary source of hydration. But come on people...
Do NOT use soap on your hands before putting them in the tank. Use it after. Duh! haha
Most humans..or a good portion of the population carry MURSA on them ..allot of us have it in our belly buttons 
.... you are more likely to get MURSA from your own body than to get his from your tank.
of course always wash your hands after playing in the tank, if you have a compromised immune system ..like say pregnant or sick.
...but honestly I do not think this is anything to really worry about, be aware of if your fish have large open wounds but not really worry
.
.... you are more likely to get MURSA from your own body than to get his from your tank. of course always wash your hands after playing in the tank, if you have a compromised immune system ..like say pregnant or sick.
...but honestly I do not think this is anything to really worry about, be aware of if your fish have large open wounds but not really worry
.
Couple of things...
As a correction to the OP, this isn't a "flesh eating bacteria" like staph aureus (MRSA), it's a granuloma (lump) forming bacteria and it's infections are usually limited to the skin or the extremities like the fingers. It's pretty rare for the infection to spread to the bones or joints in otherwise healthy people (though this is a much bigger concern if you're immunocompromised (e.g., have HIV or are on chemotherapy or post transplant suppressants).
One of the biggest reasons that Mycobacterium marinum can cause serious problems is because infections are indolent (slow growing) so people wait too long before going to see their doctors, and it's pretty rare and so most physicians are somewhat unfamiliar with it and take a long time to correctly diagnose it.
In otherwise healthy people, infections can usually be treated pretty effectively with oral antibiotics so it's not something you have to worry too much about, but it's important to catch it as early as possible. If you do have a cut on your hand while working in a fish tank and you then notice swelling or a bump in the area it's important to go see your doctor sooner rather than later and tell him/her that you're worried about an M. marinum infection.
Not something to really worry about IMO, but as a fishkeeper it's important to be aware of this as a possible (though admittedly very rare) issue and learn to recognize possible symptoms.
As a correction to the OP, this isn't a "flesh eating bacteria" like staph aureus (MRSA), it's a granuloma (lump) forming bacteria and it's infections are usually limited to the skin or the extremities like the fingers. It's pretty rare for the infection to spread to the bones or joints in otherwise healthy people (though this is a much bigger concern if you're immunocompromised (e.g., have HIV or are on chemotherapy or post transplant suppressants).
One of the biggest reasons that Mycobacterium marinum can cause serious problems is because infections are indolent (slow growing) so people wait too long before going to see their doctors, and it's pretty rare and so most physicians are somewhat unfamiliar with it and take a long time to correctly diagnose it.
In otherwise healthy people, infections can usually be treated pretty effectively with oral antibiotics so it's not something you have to worry too much about, but it's important to catch it as early as possible. If you do have a cut on your hand while working in a fish tank and you then notice swelling or a bump in the area it's important to go see your doctor sooner rather than later and tell him/her that you're worried about an M. marinum infection.
Not something to really worry about IMO, but as a fishkeeper it's important to be aware of this as a possible (though admittedly very rare) issue and learn to recognize possible symptoms.
I had a micobacterium infection when I used to do aquaculture. I got it in my left thumb from a deep puncture from broken fluorescent tube glass in a tank. I knew what it was, but my doctor was clueless. He cut my thumb open looking for glass and put me on three week-long courses of increasingly strong antibiotics before he referred me to an orthopedic surgeon to get the glass that he was convinced was in my thumb out. The surgeon agreed with me about the infection and cut my thumb open to try and get a culture. I had pustules migrating to the surface of my thumb and my thumbnail was falling off. He never got a culture so he referred me to an infectious disease specialist. The specialist said I might loose part of my thumb if the infection moved into the bone. I finally got rid of it after three months with antibiotics and soaking my thumb in domobarrow solution and really hot water as long and often as possible. I still can't feel the tip of my thumb.
