STUFF CAN HAPPEN
by Joe Semeister

You decide to make a water chance on your marine aquarium. Ah what the heck, you will also do some maintenance on the wet-dry system. While putting around you "nick" the knuckle at the base of the index finger. Nothing to get upset about; so you continue on completing the task. Two weeks later a small "white- head" pimple appears at the site of the small injury. As time progresses, a scarlet discoloration the size of a dime replaces the "pimple." At the same time, the area around the site begins to swell and become tender. Oh well, time to see a doctor. Antibiotics are prescribed with an assurance not to worry. The coloration is now beginning to cover the fist as the soreness and swelling increases. Concern about what is occurring increases. The doctor now says you have cellulitis. This is serious. Different antibiotics are given. Discoloration is now passing your wrist. Time to seek another professional opinion. BINGO, the physician you are now seeing tells you that he has seen this problem once before, and it is quite serious. You are now being treated with a drug called minocycline. After seven months, the scarlet purple spot is the size of a nickel and still on the wane. Little did you know that you would be on this medication for a year or more.

The story related is true. I know the aquarist that informed me of the events. The microorganism that caused the problem was MYCOBACTERIUM MARINUM, also called fish tuberculosis that is related to human TB and leprosy. The affected parts of the body are usually the hands and feet. Incubation can range from two days to two years. It usually takes about two weeks for the granuloma (white-head) to appear at the site of entry. The color of the infected area varies front pink to purple, may discharge pits,
and can be painful.

Drugs of choice used to treat the problem are: minocycline, rifampin, ethambutol, and biaxin. Expect to be taking the medication for a year or more. Even though the problem is RARE, people have acquired fish TB from fish spine punctures, cleaning fish, shrimp, crabs, getting scratched on fish tanks and net handles, and mouth-siphoning fish tanks. The microbe is not usually fatal. However, the person that shared his experience was told that he could have died.

This article is not to scare one away from the hobby, but to inform one that there are some problems associated with various hobbies that many doctors have never seen. Oh, some cases have been caused by cutting bare feet in parking lots from infected water transferred by air during storms.

Moral to the story, avoid going bare footed.