Teen Facing Hand Amputation After Fish Tank Scratch

[dantra]

I came across the story this morning and thought I share.

Teen may lose her hand to antibiotic-resistant, flesh-eating, fish tank bacteria.

[Ben.]

Does this bacteria infect fish or inverts?

[HolyAngel]

Wow that's horrible. I wish her the best, and may she keep her hand!

[HolyAngel]

THIS is why you wash your hands before and after going in the tank!!!!

[tuffgong]

Poor kid. That's awful! I wonder if it was fresh or salt...

[Higher Thinking]

So I am currently taking my 2nd and 3rd set if antibiotics for an infection that has progressively spread throughout my entire arms, legs, and chest. Been to the docrtors three times and they do not know what it is. I just looked at pictures and read a great about this disease and this is looking like me. Maybe I'm just being a hypochondriac, but this is looking really familiar. I don't know what to do, Docs don't know what to do, sigh.......
A week of antibiotics and it is still progressing.

[newportjon]

This is a little scary.

My index finger was infected just last week. Cut my finger tightening fishing line and then handling fish with the open cut. During that time, I don't think I did any fish tank maintenance thankfully.

[nonconductive]

wow thats sad and scary.

Higher Thinking, I hope they get your situation figured out.

[GreenEmber]

Originally Posted by Ben.

Does this bacteria infect fish or inverts?

While I'm not sure of inverts I have seen this infection in fish before....it can be treated but there is always the risk of having it transfered to the person looking after the tank and if I see any signs of it I put down the fish immediately with gloved hands.
Mycobacterium marinum causes tuberculosis in fish....yep there are some seriously nasty things in tanks that not everyone knows about...I always wash my hands before and after (after I have my hands in tanks I tend to use an antibacterial hand wash to kill and nasties) Poor girl I hope she recovers....

[tonytrout2001@hotmail.com]

OMG, I hope everything works out for her, she is too young to have to be dealing with this. And to think, I rarely wash my hands when they have been in a tank, nor do I get the chance to wash them often while fishing. Gonna put that bottle of hand sanitizer to use now!!

[ncharlie]

You can get this infection from any aquatic or marine environment.

While it is unfortunate for the girl, the real tragedy is the news making Americans more paranoid and nutty over so called "flesh eating bacteria."

Yes, they exist but they are not new.

Maybe Nancy Pelosi will ban fish tanks when we have universal health care because treating hand infections is too expensive.

Just wash your hands.

Or better yet, let's slap biohazard warning labels on every fish tank sold!

[ncharlie]

Originally Posted by Higher Thinking

So I am currently taking my 2nd and 3rd set if antibiotics for an infection that has progressively spread throughout my entire arms, legs, and chest. Been to the docrtors three times and they do not know what it is. I just looked at pictures and read a great about this disease and this is looking like me. Maybe I'm just being a hypochondriac, but this is looking really familiar. I don't know what to do, Docs don't know what to do, sigh.......
A week of antibiotics and it is still progressing.

You need a tissue culture for bacteria, mycobacteria, and fungi. Tissue culture being a peice of your infected skin for the lab.

Not that I am a doctor. . . or maybe I am?

[audioaficionado]

You'd better be careful what you put on your hands prior to placing them in with your fish as well.

[GreenEmber]

Originally Posted by audioaficionado

You'd better be careful what you put on your hands prior to placing them in with your fish as well.

Mmmmm so true!

[xJaypex]

Can a plant only tank have this infection too?

That's sad, hope they find a cure for her.