Chinatown Skin Infection Outbreak Spreads in NYC,
Number of Cases Doubles
NBC NEWS - The number of New Yorkers suspected of having a rare skin infection that comes from handling raw seafood, causing skin lesions, pain and swelling to the hands and arms and even difficulty moving fingers, has more than doubled, officials said Wednesday.
Health officials are warning those who purchase raw fish and seafood at Chinatowns in Manhattan, Queens or Brooklyn to wear waterproof gloves when handling those items, and to seek medical care if they discover red bumps on hands or arms.
The bacteria causing the infection is called Mycobacterium marinum and it gets into the body through a cut or other injury, the Health Department said
The infections, which are treated with antibiotics, were reported to the Health Department by doctors, officials said.
The Health Department said those who eat seafood from these markets are not at risk.
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Mycobacterium Marinum
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.
Read more about this disease
http://www.medicinenet.com/mycobacterium_marinum/article.htm
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