Fish infected with TB do not show any symptoms until the infected organ fails/ ruptures. Then the fish bloats up overnight, stops eating, does a stringy white poop, hangs out by the surface or near a filter outlet, and dies within 24 hours of showing these symptoms.
There is no cure for fish infected with TB.
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FISH TB IN PEOPLE
When people get a localised fish TB infection, they get a small sore that doesn't heal. Over time it can turn into a lump called a granuloma and as the infection spreads, the sore will get bigger and look like an ulcer.
Treatment involves taking a swab of the infected area and sending it off to be cultured in a lab. After they have cultured the swab, the bacteria is identified and various medications used on it. When the best medication is found, the doctor is informed and they give you a prescription for anti-biotics.
It can take months to treat a fish TB infection in people so the sooner it is identified, the better.
If you get a sore on your skin that doesn't heal after a couple of weeks, tell your doctor you keep fish and have concerns about fish TB (Mycobacterium species), and that you want the wound swabbed and sent off for culture.
Do not take anti-biotics or medications before the wound has been swabbed, cultured and the disease organisms identified.
Lots of people do take medication straight away and most anti-biotics do not work on fish TB, and the wrong anti-biotics simply make the strain of Mycobacteria more drug resistant. So always get the wound swabbed, cultured and identified before taking medication for it.
While you wait for the lab results (they take about 1-2 weeks), you can try applying raw honey to the wound. Wash and dry the wound, then get some honey and rub it into the wound. Put a bandage on it and keep it dry. Then wash, dry and replace the honey and bandage 2 times a day.
Do not use sticky bandages or band-aids because these can damage the skin when you remove them and the infection can spread to the damaged tissue. Just use a material band-aid or tissue wrapped around the finger and held in place with tape. The tape goes over the tissue and does not touch the skin.
Honey has a lot of anti-microbial properties and can treat a lot of minor infections. Honey from bees living in Eucalypt or tea tree forests, or Manuka honey is the best and has the most anti-microbial properties.
Honey probably won't treat Mycobacterium infections but it can still be tried. Wounds treated with honey usually show a major improvement after 3-4 days.
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Most people that develop fish TB infections are old or have a weakened immune system (people with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hepatitis, etc). They have an open wound (cut or scratch) on their skin and get TB contaminated water on and in the wound. The bacteria then set up home in the wound and slowly spread over a course of months.
Rubber gloves will prevent the water getting onto your skin and stops any TB cells from getting onto/ into wounds on your skin.
Washing your hands and arms with warm soapy water after working in a fish tank will normally get rid of any TB cells on the skin. Washing your hands 2 or 3 times with warm soapy water is more likely to get rid of all the TB cells, if you don't wash up well.
Most healthy people with fish never get fish TB. I had it in my tanks for nearly 20 years and I worked in my tanks every day. I also worked in the pet shop tanks every day and I never caught it. I do know a few people that have caught fish TB and they had open wounds on their skin and they worked in lots of tanks with fish that had fish TB.
