Is It A Fish Bite?

[dafrnhm]

Well, I had an interesting weekend. I went away for a weekend break, just before I left I did a 75% water change, added a couple of plants and 2 gouramis. WELL!

As usual when I am holding the gravel vac down they all nip at my hand, I have a few cardinal tetras and about 6 mollies, plus the 2 new gouramis. I noticed about 20 mins after I did the fish I had a really itchy hand and a little mark on my hand. This happened on friday, well saturday morning I woke up and my hand was a bit swollen, still had a tiny little mark on my thumb. As the day went on my hand got worse so I went to the pharmacy and got some anti-histamine, this seemed to make things worse, within a couple of hours my hand trebled in size and really ballooned up, I had no knuckles and little sausage fingers. Then at about 7pm I noticed it had started to travel up my wrist, by 11pm it was up to my armpit, I had a big red swollen bump the whole length of my arm.

Time for the hospital! I got told off for not coming earlier and they said it was in my blood stream and if I had left it it could of got to my heart and from there it would of spread like wildfire and turned pretty serious. They put me on an IV drip of anti-biotics and I now have to go back to be put back on drip for a few days, then I am on tablets.

My question is, what the hell could of caused this!? I can't understand how 1 of the fish could of done this? As far as I am aware they are completely harmless??

 

[StandbySetting]

The fish could have been a vector for disease, or you could have knocked a part of your hand creating a wound for bacteria present in the water to enter.

 

[Mikaila31]

The fish you mentioned are completely harmless.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Well, now you must be aware that they are not. Could there have been something in the water that might have caused the reaction, rather than merely being a fish bite.

 

[Duz]

You are right in thinking that the fish couldn't cause it. But if you are allergic to something in the water from your fish tank and that got into your cut/blood stream, your arm might start to swell up. My guess is that some of the dirt in the water (maybe from the gravel vac) got into your cut and started it to itch. Your body then noticed you were allergic to something in the water and then you get the normal response where your body swells up.

Do you get any red marks on your skin when you clean the fish out normally? If so you may be allergic to something in the water (what ever that could be). Otherwise there could be something else which you have come in contact with throughout your day. I am only going by simple first aid here so could be completely wrong, but I do know that if you are allergic to something your body does swell up.

 

[Randomitity]

It wasn't the fish you probably rubbed up against something wrong causing the skin to break letting bacteria in

 

[Mikaila31]

Allergy then? My big boesemani repeatedly bite me during a water change. Small open wounds or scratches have never stopped me from changing water either. I'm well aware of all the bacteria and microorganisms that live in a fish tanks.

 

[Duz]

At work, when ever someone has an allergic reaction to something their arm swells and first it starts off by a red mark/itching. Then moves on up to swelling of the fingers and palm. Then swelling to the wrist (in which case go to hospital) and then the whole limb swells up. If this keeps going it will eventually spread to your heart, if its on your right arm it is also worest as those veins are closer to your heart (direction of your blood flow). Thats why they might of said you should of come into hospital earlier. Well the good news is you are getting better now

 

[trianglekitty]

I don't think it was an allergic reaction- it was an infection, which is why they put you on antibiotics. Allergic reactions are treated differently, though the symptoms of swelling can be the same.

It probably wasn't the fish, but you may have had a small cut. There is bacteria in fish water, of course, and even common bacteria like staph can be very dangerous. Take flesh eating bacteria, for example- it's often just a kind of staph.

I would suggest wearing gloves in the future.

As a side note, ANY time you have heat, swelling, and redness that is spreading quickly, seek medical attention. Bacteria in your bloodstream means you're going septic, and yes, you can absolutely die from that.

(I've had to go to the hospital three times for infected cat bite wounds- I used to be a vet tech and cats are dirty little buggers)

 

[twodoctors]

It's cellulitis. Not allergic reaction. If it is allergic reaction it would have happened quicker (minutes rather than hours). I don't know what they meant by spreading to your heart. If you think about it, blood is pumped by the heart, so wherever your source of infection is, when it is also in the blood (septicaemia) then it will go to the heart. I think that's what they are trying to tell you. You will have to be extremely unlikely to get myocarditis from a small would like that. In future, as mentioned above, if you have a swelling that is spreading, see your GP. If you are unwell with it, go to A&E. It's their job to make the diagnosis, not you. Better safe than sorry.

What caused it? It's just bad luck (and bad genes) I'm afraid. Some people are more prone to infection than others. Everyone's got bugs on their skin, but not everyone will get infection when they have a wound otherwise we will all be in hospital! Could you have done something earlier? Maybe. Maybe you could have washed the wound clean when you first noticed it. Would it have made much difference? Nobody knows. I don't know what bugs you've got but good job you decided to go to the hospital before you got really sick.

Having said all that you are pretty unlucky to get cellulitis like that from a small wound. Get well soon.

Adrian (Anaesthetist)

 

[dafrnhm]

Thanks for all the posts, I think the glove suggestion is a good idea. The doctor said its an infection not an allergic reaction, It must of been like people said, the water entering a cut but I didn't notice a cut and just wanted to make 100% positive that there is no way it could of been a fish because I am new to fish keeping and don't really know the species properly.

 

[ian]

I agree with Adrian...

Ian (Charge Nurse)

 

[myrtle]

I often get small itchy bumps on my arms when I've been in the tank a lot which I'mguessing is an allergic reaction as opposed to an infection like the op had but it just illustrates what odd things are dissolved in the water!