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Medical Author:

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Dr. Alai is an actively practicing medical and surgical dermatologist in south Orange County, California. She has been a professor of dermatology and family medicine at the University of California, Irvine since 2000. She is U.S. board-certified in dermatology, a 10-year-certified fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and Fellow of the American Society of Mohs Surgery.

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Medical Editor:

Frederick Hecht, MD, FAAP, FACMG

Frederick Hecht, MD, FAAP, FACMG

Frederick Hecht, MD, lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr. Hecht is a Pediatrician and Medical Geneticist and is certified by both the American Boards of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics. Dr. Hecht was born and raised in Baltimore and attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. and the Sorbonne at the University of Paris receiving his BA degree cum laude with distinction from Dartmouth.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• What is Mycobacterium marinum?
• What are other names for Mycobacterium marinum?
• How common is Mycobacterium marinum?
• How does a person get infected with Mycobacterium marinum?
• Who is at risk for Mycobacterium marinum infection?
• What are the symptoms of Mycobacterium marinum infection?
• What tests are available to diagnose the infection?
• How is Mycobacterium marinum infection treated?
• What is the prognosis for those infected with Mycobacterium marinum?
• How do I find a specialist?
• What are possible complications from Mycobacterium marinum?
• Do fish get infected with Mycobacterium marinum?
• What else could it be?
• How can I prevent this infection?
• Patient Comments: Mycobacterium Marinum - Share Your Experience
• Mycobacterium Marinum Index

The prognosis is excellent for a complete cure with a proper, full course of oral antibiotics and good medical follow-up with your physician. There are no long-term problems after treatment.

Specialists including dermatologists, infectious-disease physicians, and rheumatologists may have additional expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of this rare disorder.

M. marinum infections are usually localized and typically do not spread past the skin in healthy people. Most patients with a normal immune system don't experience other complications. However, undetected or untreated, the infection may progress and cause deeper and more longstanding infections. Patients with an impaired immune system (immunocompromised) may be much more prone to serious complications such as spread of infections to involve the bone marrow and internal organs.

Some rare potential problems include infection of the underlying bone called osteomyelitis, infection of the deep muscle tendons called tenosynovitis, inflammation of the joints called arthritis, and widespread bodily infections called disseminated disease.

Yes. There are probably two different types of M. marinum. One type only causes a longstanding (chronic) progressive disease in fish without affecting humans. The second type, which can infect humans, seems to cause a deadly sudden illness in fish.