Mycobacteria widespread in aquaria
A study on the presence of mycobacteria in healthy fish and aquariums in the Czech Republic has shown that the incidence of the pathogens is 'quite high'.Scientists from the Veterinary Research Institute at Brno in the Czech Republic analysed samples taken from a home aquarium alongside those from five aquaria run by a professional fish breeder and found that 18 of 42 samples taken from 19 fish contained various forms of Mycobacteria.
The findings, which are due to be published in the Journal of Fish Diseases, also showed that the mycobacteria were present in the water itself, with 75.4% of samples testing positive. Certain mycobacterial species can cause chronic, hard-to-treat fish diseases that do not respond well to over-the-counter medications, with one species, Mycobacterium marinum, leading to fish TB; a condition that not only kills fish but also produces a skin condition in humans known as "fish tank granuloma".
Further analysis of the isolated mycobacteria showed that a wide range of species were present in the samples, including: M. fortuitum, M. flavescens, M. chelonae, M. gordonae, M. terrae, M. triviale, M. diernhoferi, M. celatum, M. kansasii and M. intracellulare. Mycobacterium marinum was absent from the samples, and M. kanasasii is an endemic species in the water of the Czech Republic.
The team wrote: "The incidence of other conditionally pathogenic mycobacterial species in healthy fish and in all investigated constituents of the aquarium environment including snails and crustaceans used for fish feeding, was quite high.
"Accordingly, mycobacterial species from aquarium environments may serve as a possible source of infection for both aquarium fish and immunodeficient fish handlers."
For more information see the paper: Beran V, Matlova L, Dvorska L, Svastova P, Pavlik I (2006) - Distribution of mycobacteria in clinically healthy ornamental fish and their aquarium environment. J Fish Dis. 2006 Jul;29(7):383-93.
This article may not be reproduced without permission.
Matt Clarke: 1.9.2006Views: Read 3,215 times
Comments feed
Please login to leave a comment
Login
Please login using your current username and password. If you have forgotten your details you can get a reminder.
 | Editor-in-Chief, Matt Clarke, writes the regular Interesting Imports column on rare and unusual fish in the UK aquarium trade. He's kept fish for 30 years and holds a degree, two higher degrees and two diplomas in fish biology, taxonomy and computational biology. |
| More articles by Matt Clarke » | |
"Increasingly there is concern over bacteria infections in hospitals and in the home.
Posted by: Stuart Halliday - 3 years, 2 months agoSo the latest report on Mycobacteria in our aquarium tanks doesn't really come as a big surprise.
My sister is a nurse and since I got a tank, she has always been teaching me on how to promote good tank husbandry.
I'd be washing my hands in soap and drying them off each time.
But its a tiresome and slow process to do this each time I had to attend to the tank and I probably didn't do it as often as I should have.
So after some advice from my very own 'nurse' here is what I do.
I have a bottle of Sterizone hand lotion (made by Wallace Cameron).
This is simply water, ethanol and a touch of glycerine and is unperfumed.
You put a drop in your hands, rub your hands together and it evaporates away!
After I've had my hands in the tank or in contact with equipment it is the work of seconds to quickly squirt a small amount on my hands and rub my hands together.
It evaporates in seconds leaving my hands clean, bacteria free and feeling silky smooth into the bargain!
It's harmless to aquatic life (unlike soap) in small quantities so I feel confident about using it more.
As it's alcohol based, it will kill bacteria instantly. But it will also kill off any aquatic parasites on my hands too. So I'll not be passing on any nasties onto my other tanks too.
I'm now allergy to touching frozen bloodworm cubes so I'm going to see if this lotion stops that reaction too.
I'd love to see this lotion in sale in aquarium or pet shops as there must be millions of people in contact with potentially nasty bacteria or parasites via their pets.
At the moment it's on sale from Stationery companies selling to businesses and hospitals. Though you can buy it from their online shop which is where I got mine.
http://www.wallacecameron.co...
Is this Tip of the Month PFK? ;-))"
Date: Friday September 8th, 2006, 12:52 pm