Be careful

[don-n-sa]

A good read about one of the dangerous bacteria that can be present in our aquariums.


http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-07/sp/feature/index.htm

[scuba_steveo]

reading this as I take my hands off my zoos

[don-n-sa]

reading this as I take my hands off my zoos

:lol

[alton]

Keeps the competition down at the lfs? On a serious note is this the same stuff as down at the Texas Coast? I have heard of fisherman and guides losing large amounts of tissue and flesh due to saltwater on an open wound. Some are blaming it on stagnet water and or immune sytems

[::pete::]

It probably has alot to do with immune systems also.

[GaryP]

On a serious note is this the same stuff as down at the Texas Coast?

No, that is antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the flesh eating bacteria. My wife just had it a few months ago.

[don-n-sa]

Yeah...this isnt the flesh eating kind or toxins from zoos and such, it is a less known bacteria that is kind of subtle until you notice it then POOF! your dead!! no JK I just wanted to share this article because I have never heard of this bug before.

[::pete::]

A thread (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=414029&highlight=Mycoba cterium+marinum) posted a while back.

[don-n-sa]

A thread (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=414029&highlight=Mycoba cterium+marinum) posted a while back.


OK maybe I did hear of this bug before...but I forgot about it.

[Thunderkat]

That article about the dangerous bacteria is very misleading.

Just because a bacteria is Mycobacterium does not mean its dangerous just because Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis in people. Nesseria gonorrhea can cause gonorrhea in people but there are Nesseria bacteria in your mouth right now that are part of your normal flora that do not cause problems.

Escherichia coli is also found in everybody and everybody has their own strain but version 0157 can kill you.

Any species of bacteria can be potentially dangerous so just follow basic practices for infection control like washing your hands and don't drink the aquarium water (resist temptation).

[Polkster13]

That would include tasting the water as well. It is much safer to just use a test kit to check for salinity, alkalinity, and hardness, et al. :roll :blink ;)

[ansonluna]

don't drink the aquarium water (resist temptation).

Thats how I test the saltinity....it's just a small taste though :D

[Thunderkat]

I'm glad somebody caught that joke.

Yeah, if you have a cut on you its best to keep your hands out of the water but what they don't tell you is exaclty how serious the cut was (I bet you it was pretty deep) and they don't tell you how much exposure he had.

I wouldn't doubt it if the guy that got his fingers so infected had a really serious cut and did maintenance with submerged hands everyday in his 50 tanks for a while before he got infected.

He says he cleaned it and bandaged it but I have a good feeling that cleaning it and bandaging just consisted of a fresh water rinsing (maybe with soap in there who knows) after he was done with all the maintenance.

If you start studying about bacteria and stuff from pets and the environment it would scare you out of doing anything. Dogs can carry a tape worm that is 1/4" long and if it infects humans, even one, you die. The way you get this tape worm is by accidentally eating a flea that has bitten that dog (dog is in the house or you are eating outside a flea jumps on your food as you are taking a bite or the flea jumps into your mouth while you are sleeping). The tape worm kills you by causing an allergic reaction.

[don-n-sa]

I just read the whole article again and I do not feel that it was / is misleading at all...it just shows what can happen if you don't take some precautions when you have your hands in your tank. Sure there is bacteria all around us...shoot we have bacteria in us, some good and some bad. The bacterium Clostridium botulinum that causes botulism is very deadly and is in most peoples back yard in the low oxygen environment deep in the soil.

The point that the article makes and the reason why I posted it is to urge us to use gloves when doing tank maintenance and / or at least wash up for at least 1 min with a good soap. It also states that if you have a cut that you should take extra precautions.

I never use gloves when I do tank maintenance...but I probably will pick up a pair soon...In the meantime I will be washing my hands and arm more thouroughly.

[Polkster13]

I have always tried to limit putting my arms and hands into a tank, but for a different reason. I could be accidently introducing something into the tank that got on my arm or hand (soap, cleaning fluids, solvents, deodrants, et cetera). I too think it warrants wearing gloves to limit any cross contamination to either party. I will be purchasing some gloves in the very near future and will wear them whenever I need to access the interior of the tank and a tool won't work.

[Richard]

******! I guess I'm going to have to give up eating fleas!

[don-n-sa]

******! I guess I'm going to have to give up eating fleas!

LMAO :lol