title: Fish gambler's tenosynovitis caused by Mycobacterium marinum: environmental investigation of a fishing pond in Southern Taiwan.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 81362, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hung-Chin
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Calvin M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kunin
authors.forename: Susan Shin-Jung
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yao-Shen
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shue-Ren
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wann
authors.forename: Yu-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yung-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: 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*