Skin Infection Resulting from Exposure to Aquariums is Under-Diagnosed

A Henry Ford Hospital study says that a skin infection linked to exposure to contaminated water in home aquariums is frequently under-diagnosed.

Researchers say diagnosing and managing Mycobacterium marinum infection is difficult because skin lesions don't appear for two to four weeks after incubation, leading to delayed treatment and unnecessary and ineffective use of antifungal and antibacterial agents. During the incubation period, patients also fail to remember the source of the exposure, which is often traced to them cleaning their aquarium. Infection results when bacteria in the non-chlorinated water attacks an open skin wound on the arm or hand. "People just don't know or think about their fish tank harboring this bacterial organism," says George Alangaden, M.D., a Henry Ford Infectious Diseases physician and the study's lead author. "And unless they're directly questioned about it by their physician, who may or may not have adequate knowledge of Mycobacterium marinum and its prolonged incubation period, appropriate treatment often gets delayed."