Skin Infections from Contaminated Water Under-Diagnosed

A recent study looks at how skin infections via contaminated water may be under-diagnosed, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital.

The study notes that this particular infection is difficult to diagnose as skin lesions don't always appear until two to four weeks until after the incubation period, which leads to a delayed treatment and is unnecessary and shows ineffective use of anti-fungal and antibacterial agents.

During the incubation period, many patients also fail to remember the source of the exposure, which is often linked to the cleaning of their aquarium. This happens due to bacteria in the chlorinated water that hits open skin wounds via the arm or hand.

"People just don't know or think about their fish tank harboring this bacterial organism," George Alangaden, M.D., a Henry Ford Infectious Diseases physician and the study's lead author said, via a press release. "And unless they're directly questioned about it by their physician, who may or may not have adequate knowledge of Mycobacterium marinum and its prolonged incubation period, appropriate treatment often gets delayed."

The study was conducted between January 2003 and March 2013, in which researchers identified five patients between the ages of 43 to 72 who were treated at the Henry Ford Hospital for Mycobacterium marinum, which resemble reddish skin lesions or bumps on the hands or arms. Skin biopsies often were performed on all five patients in order to confirm the infection.

The incubation period of the skin lesions appeared between 11 to 56 days, according to background information from the study. All five patients responded effectively to an antibiotic treatment.

"Mycobacterium marinum is not a life-threatening illness, but it remains an unrecognized cause of skin infection," says Dr. Alangaden. "To accelerate diagnosis and treatment, physicians are encouraged to ask detailed questions about the patient's history, especially questions about potential exposure to aquariums."

The study is being presented Saturday at the Infectious Diseases Society of America's annual meeting in San Francisco.