Sunday, April 4, 2010

How easy is it for Tuberculosis to transfer from fish to humans

How easy is it for Tuberculosis to transfer from fish to humans?

Fish - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Not very. The only way is if you directly handle a fish with ulcers and you have open cuts on your hands. Even then, it's not very contagious. Otherwise, it's practically impossible. It's still better to be safe, and use gloves when handling the fish, and then wash your hands well and sterilize anything that the fish came in contact with while infected.
2 :
It's actually not hard at all. Open cuts, scrapes, even just the skin. However, the chances of it becoming bad are remote. If you've ever been swimming in a pond, lake, river chances are you've been exposed. A swimming pool that isn't properly chlorinated will also have a high chance of exposing you to it. They even have a name for it. Swimming pool granuloma. Unless you have a compromised immune system, you have a 99% chance of fighting off the infection without any need for medical attention. Most people will just get a little red bump on their skin that will be a bit tender, but will go away in a day or two. Having open cuts, scrapes, or punctures increases the odds of a serious infection though. So wash your hands if you do. It's a slow growing bacteria so if you do get a small irritated bump that lasts more than a week, you may want to get it checked out and be sure to mention you have an aquarium. The test for it is complicated and half the time the results are inconclusive but there are more simple tests that can be done to determine if it's an acid fast mycobacterium, which fish TB is.
3 :
It's actually quite rare (in an aquarium situation, I mean). However, it is one of the few diseases that have been documented to have spread from an aquarium to a human. Again, though, there are only a few recorded cases of this in the history of the world. Wash your hands before and after putting them in your tank (with plain water before, and with water and soap afterward), and don't put a hand with an open wound in the water, and you won't have much to worry about.
4 :
Tuberculosis in the aquarium isn't very common, but if it IS present, it can transfer pretty easily if you place a hand with open cuts or wounds in the tank. I had a coworker get it from scrubbing a tank while he had a cat scratch on his hand. Just be smart and wash your hands after doing anything in the tank, and avoid putting your hand in the tank if you have any open wounds

Read more discussions :