Importation of mycobacteriosis with ornamental fish: Medico-legal implications

Passantino, Annamaria; Macrì, D.; Foti, Francesco; Coluccio, P.; Marino, Fabio

doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2007.09.030

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…marinum is the etiologic agent of fish tuberculosis and of a granulomatous disease observed mainly in aquarists and professional fish breeders (3,4,8,9,12,16,19,20,31,34,37). However, little information is available on the organization of M. marinum genetic diversity relative to the host, environment, and clinical forms in humans.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…M. marinum infection occurs in a variety of hosts, such as fish and amphibians, and occasionally in humans who have been exposed to contaminated fish and water. Human infections are generally limited to cutaneous lesions, referred to as "swimming pool granuloma" and "fish tank granuloma," according to where the infection was contracted (4,11,12,(19)(20)(21)33); however, in some cases, the infection can spread to deeper structures, resulting in tenosynovitis, arthritis, and osteomyelitis (2,5,6,10,14,15,18).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…marinum is a known fish pathogen causing a chronic granulomatous disease that bears many similarities to mammalian mycobacterioses, including tuberculosis. The rapid development of fish farming and of the ornamental fish industry has similarly led to a worldwide increase in the number of reports of M. marinum infections in fish, with two major consequences: (i) a substantial financial loss for the two sectors concerned and (ii) an increased risk of contamination for people who handle fish (4,8,9,12,16,19,22,37).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Mycobacterium marinum: New Insights into Host and Environmental Specificities

et al. 2012

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Mycobacterium marinum causes a systemic tuberculosis-like disease in fish and skin infections in humans that can spread to deeper structures, resulting in tenosynovitis, arthritis, and osteomyelitis. However, little information is available concerning (i) the intraspecific genetic diversity of M. marinum isolated from humans and animals; (ii) M. marinum genotype circulation in the different ecosystems, and (iii) the link between M. marinum genetic diversity and hosts (humans and fish). Here, we conducted a genetic study on 89 M. marinum isolates from humans ( n = 68) and fish ( n = 21) by using mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) typing. The results show that the M. marinum population is genetically structured not only according to the host but also according to the ecosystem as well as to tissue tropism in humans. This suggests the existence of different genetic pools in the function of the biological and ecological compartments. Moreover, the presence of only certain M. marinum genotypes in humans suggests a different zoonotic potential of the M. marinum genotypes. Considering that the infection is linked to aquarium activity, a significant genetic difference was also detected when the human tissue tropism of M. marinum was taken into consideration, with a higher genetic polymorphism in strains isolated from patients with cutaneous forms than from individuals with deeper-structure infection. It appears that only few genotypes can produce deeper infections in humans, suggesting that the immune system might play a filtering role.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Mycobacterium marinum: New Insights into Host and Environmental Specificities

et al. 2012

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“…The rapid development of fish farming and of the ornamental fish trade has led to a worldwide increase in the number of reports of mycobacterial infections in fish, with two major consequences: (i) a substantial financial loss in the two above-mentioned industries and (ii) an increased risk of contamination for people who handle fish (15)(16)(17)(18). Therefore, early surveillance systems based on a rapid identification of fish pathogens are critical for effective disease control in aquaculture and for improved epidemiological surveys.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, early surveillance systems based on a rapid identification of fish pathogens are critical for effective disease control in aquaculture and for improved epidemiological surveys. Furthermore, some authors have discussed specific recommendations for the policy on the importation of ornamental fish (18), which should include the evaluation of biosecurity procedures and disease monitoring.…”

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confidence: 99%

Rapid Detection and Identification of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pathogens in Fish by Using High-Resolution Melting Analysis

Phung

Caruso

Godreuil

et al. 2013

Appl Environ Microbiol

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e Mycobacterial infections in fish are commonly referred to as piscine mycobacteriosis, irrespectively of the specific identity of the causal organism. They usually cause a chronic disease and sometimes may result in high mortalities and severe economic losses. Nearly 20 species of Mycobacterium have been reported to infect fish. Among them, Mycobacterium marinum, M. fortuitum, and M. chelonae are generally considered the major agents responsible for fish mycobacteriosis. As no quick and inexpensive diagnostic test exists, we tested the potential of high-resolution melting analysis (HRMA) to rapidly identify and differentiate several Mycobacterium species involved in fish infections. By analyzing both the melting temperature and melting profile of the 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), we were able to discriminate 12 different species simultaneously. Sensitivity tests conducted on purified M. marinum and M. fortuitum DNA revealed a limit of detection of 10 genome equivalents per reaction. The primers used in this procedure did not lead to any amplification signal with 16 control non-Mycobacterium species, thereby demonstrating their specificity for the genus Mycobacterium.

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