| Description: | This disease is capable via different strains, to infect both fish living in any salinity. This is a tenacious infection capable of surviving outside of a host body for several week, Quarantine times for mycobacterium may need to be in excess of two months. The bacteria is usually ingested, but when present in high concentration in aquaria it is capable of infecting a fish via minor wounds. It can affect all fish species, although resistances vary. Fish like rainbowfish are especially vulnerable, and their sparring behaviour supports the bacterias' spread. Mycobacterium is hugely variable in its effects on fish physiononomy, form causing warping in the spine in fish infected from a young age still in developmental growth stages, through to skin lesions, and general debilitation. Depending on the location of internal lesions the symptoms can even be neurological, including tremors, shaking and circling through to abnormal agression and waning behaviours. Lesions in the kidneys, heart, lungs and liver will all produce symptoms synonymous with those organs. Dropsy is not an uncommon complication. Mycobacterium are a recognised zoonotic (meaning they can infect humans) and often infect people working in the fishing and food preparation industry. In aquarists the infection may enter the body through minor wounds and via the mouth, usually from starting syphons orally, or eating food prepared without washing hands after contact with aquarium water. In those situations symptoms can be skin lesions and medical help should be sought immediately. Untreated it can cause debilitation in humns as well as piscines. For those with paludaria involving fish to be kept with reptiles and amphibians it should also be noted that all of these animal groups can be infected, and may transmit the bacteria to each other. This bacteria easily crosses species barriers in these groups. |
