Fish gambler's tenosynovitis caused by Mycobacterium marinum: environmental investigation of a fishing pond in Southern Taiwan.
We describe a patient with Mycobacterium marinum tenosynovitis associated with a fish spine injury acquired at a gambling fishing pond in southern Taiwan and identify the source of the infection. M. marinum was isolated from fishing ponds and underground water and wastewater at the site. The isolates shared the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern as the patient. M. marinum was not detected in 54 samples obtained from 27 fish. Mycobacterium gordonae was isolated from 24 samples collected from the fish. Mycobacterium abscessus was isolated from 3 fish samples (Lateolabrax japonicus 1 and Sciaenops ocellatus 2). M. abscessus and M. gordonae were isolated from all water samples. This investigation provides strong evidence that the predisposing factor for the M. marinum infection was with a fish spine injury acquired at a gambling fishing pond. The source of the infection was the contaminated pond water.
Tsai
Hung-Chin
HC
Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 81362, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Kunin
Calvin M
CM
Lee
Susan Shin-Jung
SS
Chen
Yao-Shen
YS
Wann
Shue-Ren
SR
Liu
Yu-Wen
YW
Liu
Yung-Ching
YC
D000818:Animals; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005398:Fisheries; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D019910:Mycobacterium marinum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000254:growth & development; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D013624:Taiwan; D013717:Tenosynovitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*