Non-Tuberculus Mycobacteria Infection

[donald]

What do Thombl, posted regularly in NI website, and some 40 plus women in the Bay area have in common? They all got nasty mycobacteria infection that required MONTHS of antibiotics treatment. Some of those poor women got up 6 months of antibiotics treatments. Their multiple mysterious boils and skin ulcers then now change to deep scars.
Scary stuff!
Thombl is an EXTRAordinary koi keeper but always claimed hiself as an ordinary simple one. And he got hand infection by touching pond water with the hand with a cut. The other women got the infection from the pedicure footbath.
The bacteria often turn up in water supplies at the very low level to induce an infection outbreak. However in an organic rich water body like our ponds and footbath, the microbe can multiply, particularly in a high heat environment like the pedicure footbaths.
If you use a heated pedicure footbath/massage make sure to design is simple for complete clean and dry between usages. If you are koi keepers, like a bunch of us here, using gloves to handle fish and pond water at least during the hot summer season makes great sense. Donald
ps. btw do you have a cat and have rough play with the cat?

[dick benbow]

Interesting post. I could name names and curl hairs but i won't. Bottom line is

you do need to be careful in koi water for the transmission of lots of things.

One dealer I know has since i've known him sprayed his hands with rubbing alcohol after each time he handles a koi and uses a paper towel to dry his hands.

An un named breeder when he was a child used to wade mudponds without
waders. that as far as i'm allowed to go.....

another unnamed breeder shunned expensive meters and developed a skill of telling you what % of salt was in the pond water from tasting, that's as much as I can say

if you are diabetic and test your blood for sugar by "sticking" your fingers quess what?

had a guy from work receive a nasty bite from his pet iguana right on the upper lip. A known salmenella carrier. I asked him what he put on it and was told nothing.....quess who kept licking his lip caused it bothered him?

please begin to take some of this stuff serious as it can be! Nuff said.....

[Ruth Rice]

I use gloves and do not swim with our fish

[Tom C]

If you're the man you can drink pond water. I think I saw a picture or two of Peter drinking pond water. I guess I'm a boy, because I would never drink it. I have heard of a few people that have had major problems from drinking pond water.

Tom

[donald]

To complete the story, earlier this week the Skin & Hair salon's insurance company has settled $3M to the mishap 40 women in Salinas, California. Talking about think twice before have your feet and toes a treat!
I have a cat and always playing rough with her! of which induced cuts and scratches on both of my hands. Since reading Thombl's warning some months ago ... the rough play is now a practice of the past!

Ruth, do you know a Texan hobbyist who swim, au naturel, with the koi? Donald

[Bancherd]

I had an infection when my left foot which had two small cuts was exposed to the pond water, this happened when I was cleaning my settlement chamber.

Now, I am wearing eye-goggles, rubber boots, and rubber gloves whenever I work on my pond.

[gregbickal]

When I was a kid, we swam in rivers, lakes, whatever. I use to swim in my pond quite regularly, that is until I got my new microscope. Scraped some gunk off the waterfall and took a looksee. Now I only get in if aboslutly necessary, and always to a hot soapy bath afterward.

Ever wonder why your skin itches after messing around with some plants in the stream ? Just look under the microscope and you'll find out....

[Brady Brandwood]

I go swimming bare-arse nude in my mud ponds, in my filtered holding ponds, I handle Koi every day, sometimes all day,... go snorkeling in lakes, oceans and rivers,... and have done all of my life, and can't report anything but positive enjoyable stuff. I do realize that a Meteor could drop from the sky and hit me on the head at any second though,... as could a billion other ailments.

I can't wait till Summer!

Best Wishes,
Brady

[Maurice]

.

Sounds like I ought to be dead our something, some of the muck I've been in.

Cleanest thing I've got at the moment to wash my hands before I eat my lunch is mud pond water.



Perhaps it's the old adage of people not being as healthy nowadays because kids are not allowed to play in the garden and get dirty, because their bodies have never come into contact with many strains of bacteria they are not able to fight infections.



I was brought up in the garden, needed scrubbing down every night before bed!



Sepect I'll die of something else, but if not I died enjoying myself.

Maurice

[Steve E]

Several (many) months ago there was a thread on NI that discussed fish to human transmission of disease. It was title Zoonotic Disease and Man. The entire thread is fairly long but if anyone would like a copy I would be happy to email it to you. Interesting information. Several diseases were discussed. There was a mycobacterium that affect mainly the hands, several systemic illnesses, fungal transmission from breathing spoors, and several other secenarios. I found it interesting as it applies to our hobby. I like to know as much as I can about those things I do and what all of the impacts may or may not be to myself. This is a good thread thanks for bringing up the subject.


Steve