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Fish TB
At 02:21 AM 2/24/2000 -0700, you wrote:
>How long before I should feel safe? I've got 2 other rainbows that came from
>the same tank. They are in the main tank. That was 4 months ago. Except for
>the one loss, I've seen no signs of bacterial infection (knock wood!).
I would say that if you see no ulcers developing on other fish within 6-12
months, you may have gotten away with it. Be _very_ careful to remove any
sick or dead fish as soon as you can catch them, (the dead ones are easiest
to catch in a planted tank ;-) because one of the quickest ways for this
disease to spread is by one fish ingesting the infected flesh of another.
Also be aware that this disease is contagious to people as well. Make sure
that you don't reach into the tank with any cuts or scratches on your hands
or arms, and wash thoroughly with soap and water after working in the tank.
Fish TB is not life threatening to humans because it cannot tolerate
human's core body temperature. But it can cause nasty ulcers on
extremities, and can only be treated by long-term antibiotic therapy. I
have two friends who have caught this disease, and while it's not common,
it's a real pain in the neck to deal with.
Karen
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