Tropical fish enthusiasts risk infection by aquatic bacteria that cause
unsightly rashes. Mycobacterium marinumcan enter the body through cuts
or abrasions. 鈥淚t leaves a reddy-bluish bump which ascends the arm in a line of
nodules,鈥� says John Ryan of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
Reporting five cases of 鈥渇ish tank granuloma鈥� in the latest Journal of
Accident and Emergency Medicine(vol 14, p 398), Ryan advises owners to wear
gloves when cleaning tanks. He says that it takes two months to clear the
infection with powerful antibiotics such as rifampicin.
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