Tropical fish enthusiasts risk infection by aquatic bacteria that cause
unsightly rashes. Mycobacterium marinumcan enter the body through cuts
or abrasions. “It leaves a reddy-bluish bump which ascends the arm in a line of
nodules,” says John Ryan of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
Reporting five cases of “fish tank granuloma” in the latest Journal of
Accident and Emergency Medicine(vol 14, p 398), Ryan advises owners to wear
gloves when cleaning tanks. He says that it takes two months to clear the
infection with powerful antibiotics such as rifampicin.
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