Chris.L Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Taken from XtraMSN Website Warning To Fish Tank Owners Reuters (Reuters Health) - Owners of tropical fish be warned: cleaning the fish tank without wearing gloves may get you a bacterial skin infection, especially if you have an open cut or abrasion on your hand or a depressed immune system. Writing in the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, Dr C Fordham von Reyn and colleagues from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Centre in New Hampshire, describe eight adults who developed sores, mostly on the arms, after cleaning their fish tanks. In six of the eight people, lab tests showed the culprit to be Mycobacterium marinum, a bacterium first identified in dead aquarium fish in 1926. This bug was found to infect humans in 1951 after being isolated from skin lesions. The use of chlorine in swimming pools has drastically reduced the number of skin infections among swimmers. Today, most reported skin infections linked to the bacterium come from contact with fish tanks. Antibiotic therapy took care of the infection in most cases. But one patient's infection failed to resolve after about two years of drug treatment as well as attempts to cut out the sores. This patient had a depressed immune system. He had psoriasis, melanoma, and was taking steroids. Fish-tank exposure is the source of "most cases" of M. marinum skin infections, the researchers warn, and may be preventable by using waterproof gloves. SOURCE: Clinical Infectious Diseases, August 1, 2003. 02/09/03 Chris- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 This is the disease commonly referred to as fish TB. The Nov. Aquarium World will have an article about it and a story from a woman who caught the disease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Just out of curiousity how many of us wear gloves when working in the fish tank. I don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted September 3, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Neither. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Nope, I don't wear gloves and don't intend to start. I think people take way too many precautions with too many things as it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Neither do I. HOWEVER I have cuts on my hand at the moment, and there's no way I'm putting my hands in the tank to do the 'gardening' that needs to be done... Once my cuts have healed, THEN I'll do that... No sense in taking too things too far (with gloves etc), but no point in putting myself in the firing line! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suemack Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 no gloves either - actually have never seen gloves with long 'sleeves' only the household variety Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Any farming supply store will be able to sell you long sleeved, up to the shoulder, type gloves as they are used by farmers and vets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suemack Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 thanks Caryl - so should you wear them - I've never had a problem yet and have had my tanks for 3 yrs - hadn't heard there could be a problem till I read it here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 I have never worn gloves, do not know anyone who does so, and have never personally heard of anyone getting this disease. Yes, it is a risk but you can pick up diseases from your garden and other places. I would not worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 I would not worry about it. unless you happen to have cuts on your hands/forearms.... I don't think there's any point risking it, is there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikiegirl Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 hi yep i worn gloves as i get a skin irritation(spelling) for the stress coat i put in the tanks. i also worn them when i hand feed my fish (angles) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carla Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 better not dig in the garden either without gloves then, could die of all sorts which lurk in the ground there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interfecus Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 I can't imagine using gloves in my aquaria. I'd like to hear some statistics on the occurence rates of this: its probably very rare and blown out of proportion. Unless you do have a suppressed immune system from cancer, steroids, AIDS, etc then a round of antibiotics shouldn't kill you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Sheila Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 I have never worn gloves. One guy on another forum I frequent said that he would happily drink his water he is so confident with the filtration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 I'd drink my tank water...But far from happily...Yucky, fish water, hehehe. Just tastes bad, not worried about catching anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Should we believe 'all' we hear. Recently on one of the forums there was referrence to "Angel Aids" would you believe. Apparently highly infectious and is killing thousands of fish in the States. Yet others from the same states say that they have never heard of such a thing and it is all a myth, but it certainly is causing panic in some places whether it is true or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGilchrist Posted September 4, 2003 Report Share Posted September 4, 2003 I Have never worn gloves and do not intend to, however I agree with Aqua relating to keeping hands out when I have healing cuts. As another issue, if this is a bacteria would a UV sterilizer light inline with the filter kill it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interfecus Posted September 5, 2003 Report Share Posted September 5, 2003 Yes, TB is bacterial and a UV steriliser would kill it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman98 Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 i did a stupid thing one of my fingers had some cuts on it and i had to stick my hand in the tank to free a fish useing both hands ops if you don't hear from me again i guess i got it and died hehe if you do happen to do something stupid like i did just wash your cut with anti-bacterial soap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 nope. no gloves either. inside tanks and outside tank as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bev Posted November 9, 2003 Report Share Posted November 9, 2003 I dont wear gloves either but if I have cuts on my hands then I cover them with a waterproof dressing (TEGADERM from the chemist) the same as I do for work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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