Fish Handling: Our Own Forum - myco-bacteria marinum

[LT]

     This is an experience  post from a bad personal encounter with a fish-bourne disorder called myco-bacterium marinum.    The bacteria is carried by salt and fresh water fish all over the world and is generally transmitted to fishermen who handle "toothy" fish with the "lip-hold". I think in previous posts on a recent topic, we've established that considerable harm comes to fish from "cradling" which removes the protective slime on a potential C&R fish. Telling you what happened to me may actually save you some grief, although I know of NOTHING like this ever happening in Wyoming.
     I was fishing spotted seatrout on the MS Gulf Coast. This particular guy is a predatory fish with 1/2 inch-plus incisor fangs and several backups. It thrashes violently and continues to do so after one has a "lip-lock" on it. After landing 30 or so of these fish, the web between my thumb and index finger was absolutely shredded. It wouldn't heal, then several days later, appeared the scaly rash in parts north of there...it was spreading, then it would scale over, slough off and blister....tiny little puss-filled blisters much akin to those of severe poison ivy contact. It spread all over my hand and finally months later, was diagnosed by a savvy internist as myco-bacterium marina. Took weeks of a very strong anti-biotic, but finally I was cured.
     A footnote to all this is that that strain has a close cousin, macro-bacterium, which is identical in nature, looks for love in all the same places, but in action is what is known as a flesh-eating bacteria. A number of people on the Gulf Coast have lost limbs as well as life to this one.
     That brings me to this, all that "putting bacteria in the fish's gill" criticism has a lil
merit, if the hold is improper, but I'll tell you something my friends, that c*** cuts both ways. As a result of my experience, the only thing I put in a fish's mouth now is a pair of needle-nosed pliers. I keep my big gutted, dead 'un for a photo and all the rest go back down the hole without being touched with my precious lil hands. I hardly ever catch my limit of "toothy" walleyes, but I always hold 'em by the back of the head...probably safe to gill 'em in WY, but Don takes no chances now. See fer yourself,punch macro/myco-bacteria in on an internet search, they're there, complete with pictures...
     That begs the question, do all fish carry bacteria? I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I think they do....I mean, next time you pick up a ling, take a sniff...or for that matter, think of the multitude of probably-harmless bacteria that take up residence in the slime of...a walleye? I don't take any chances. If I'm not keeping a fish, I release it with needle-noses without taking it outta the ice-hole. But I'm probably just gun-shy from 6 months of rash, scale and blisters! 
     I'll just bet something similar has happened to some of you?
                                 Theeee exLteeeee 
     

[Fish Wolf]

Ex-Lt I  fish Florida alot and really got into the Snook off the beaches and was lipping them and had a non healing finger for a month, know I know why. Also by accident I catch alot of sail cats down there and they have a 6d nail on there dorsal thats needle sharp and when that gets you it feels like fire going into the puncture. Isn't fishing suppose to be safe. 

[LT]

Amen brother, I knew this one would draw some fire and I know those catfish and have been spined several times by them, PAINFUL! granted all that c*** is more prevalent down south and on the east/west ocean seaboards, but as I said, once was enough for me, I don't even take a chance here where the waters are pristene! 

[Cargo]

Hey ex-Lt,
              Thanks for the information very  interesting might look at handling fish a little differently in the future, especially toothy ones!

[LT]

Hey, thanks BI, I thought the guys may find it interesting...I tell ya, I'd do anything not to get that c*** again! It only takes a scratch...again, I'm talking about the Gulf Coast and east/west seaboards. I know of a couple of instances of guys wade-fishing for trout...scratched their legs a little on some barnacle-crusted pilings...one lost the leg, other guy died...both instances it was the flesh-eating variety marinum. Well, I suppose I've made my toothy-critter case!
                                     elTeeeee 

[wyohookset]

Hey Lt...I had a friend that went to N. Dakota and ended up getting some sort of blood poisioning from an abrasion from the mouth of a northern pike.  It was kind of a spooky ordeal, but something to think about when it comes to fish handling.

[LT]

Yep, I'm not surprised, we think just because our waters are cold, clear and basically pristene, nothing like that could live on a fish's body. Since I posted this, I've given a little more thought to what predatory fish eat and what might remain in their mouth as a result, I mean, all you need is an open cut on your hand, a trace of bacteria and you got a mess, brother ! How long did it take and what cure for your buddy?
                                         LT

[wyohookset]

Yep, I'm not surprised, we think just because our waters are cold, clear and basically pristene, nothing like that could live on a fish's body. Since I posted this, I've given a little more thought to what predatory fish eat and what might remain in their mouth as a result, I mean, all you need is an open cut on your hand, a trace of bacteria and you got a mess, brother ! How long did it take and what cure for your buddy?
                                         LT

  LT...he was hospitalized for about a week with a strict regiment of interveinous antiboitics.  The treatment worked, but any type of infection can be hit or miss as far as treatment goes.

[LT]

Wow! That's a pair of red flags , first hospitalized and second a regimen of iv anti-biotics. That was serious. Glad it ended well. That'll make me be even more careful. I guess my major sin is seems like I've always got a scratch or nick or get one then go ahead and handle the buggers anyway. Last night, I accidentally caught the gaff with a fingernail-cuticle. Oh yeah!