Having aquariums can be hazardous to your health!!!

[laurenrocksth]

So, I'm in school to be a PA and we had an interesting lecture today. It was actually on HIV, but my teacher brought up an interesting point.

He said that immunocompromised people (such as those with HIV, hepatitis, cancer, transplant recipients, etc) really shouldn't have or be near aquariums due to the risk of infection; specifically with a bacteria called Legionella. Infection with this bug results in Legionaire's disease which can result in drug-resistant pneumonia... not a great thing. This bacterium likes warm, damp places... like your fish tank.

When I asked my teacher (the Dean of my program) if properly maintained tanks were as apt to become contaminated as those that weren't, he looked at me like I had 1 million heads :)

[Somervell]

Seems like there are many other things that would be bigger risks for an immunocompromised person.

[Hebily]

I am probably wrong, but I understood that legionare's needed a hotter (90f ish) and damp (not wet, not even dripping, just really humid) environment. Did your teach give you any examples of this happening?

[laurenrocksth]

Nope... but we also went over STDs today, so I was a little preoccupied :)

In previous classes, we've talked about Legionella as a result of working aroung AC units and the like, but never aquariums. I'll see if I can find some research on it.

[laurenrocksth]

Hmmm... just did some research

It seems as though there was an outbreak of Legionella among people who visited the Melbourne Aquarium in April of 2000. The organism wasn't associated with the tanks per se, but with the cooling units. Maybe if you run chillers, they could become contaminated??? Do they get warm like the outside of an air conditioner?

[Hebily]

Yes... they are effectively the same thing...

And that makes sense....

[psyche]

I think doctors can be quite irresponsible telling people to get rid of pets (cats, fish etc) because they may be disease vectors--with no consideration of how miniscule the risk is and how pets and hobbies can be hugely beneficial to mental and physical health.

[excuzzzeme]

There are many organisms that live in aquarium water regardless of maintenance. The water is not sterile and therefore not immune to infections.

Strongyloidasis is one parasite that fish can have and never show illness. It can be fatal to humans. Another one is fish TB. The TB can be transmitted from fish to humans. Given the above information I would have to say your professor looked strangely at you for daring to ask a question he might think to be ignorant or stupid.

It is funny that I am watching Animal Planet right now and it was describing these problems!

BTW- if the show had not been on I wouldn't have known any different.

[jpappy789]

The (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200899The) bacteria grow best in warm water, like the kind found in hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, large plumbing systems, or parts of the air-conditioning systems of large buildings.http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/patient_facts.htm


The organism has been isolated in natural aquatic habitats (freshwater streams and lakes, water reservoirs) and artificial sources (cooling towers, potable water distribution systems). Freshwater amoebae appear to be the natural reservoir for the organisms.2 (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:showcontent%28%27active%27,%27references%27%2 9;) Optimal growth temperature is 28-40°C; organisms are dormant below 20°C and are killed at temperatures above 60°C.http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/965492-overview


Legionella organisms are readily found in natural aquatic bodies and some species have been recovered from soil. The organisms can survive in a wide range of conditions, including temperatures of 0 to 63o C, pH of 5.0 to 8.5, and dissolved oxygen concentrations of 0.2 to 15 ppm in water. Temperature is a critical determinant for Legionella proliferation. Colonization of hot water tanks is more likely if tank temperatures are between 40 and 50oC (104 to 122o F).http://www.legionella.org/general_info.htm#n2



I highly doubt the common aquarium gets hot and humid enough for it to be a serious threat, especially to someone in decent health.

[Hebily]

Yes, I would say there are many things in an aquarium, or anywhere else that could be a problem for an immunocompromised person...

[andyjs]

Given the above information I would have to say your professor looked strangely at you for daring to ask a question he might think to be ignorant or stupid.

Actually, I'd bet he doesn't know the first thing about aquariums and didn't know how to begin to answer such a question. He may have acted like it was a stupid question to attempt to play off the fact that he had no answer

[Hebily]

I think professors have to take a class on how to do that.

[Wycco]

Chances are we are all exposed to Legionella daily regardless of whether we own an aquarium or not- same with dozens of other bacteria. Most of the time it's OK our bodies immune system can deal with it. It's only when our immune system is weakened or we are exposed to insane numbers of these bad little bacteria that we get overrun by them.


I'd be willing to say there are millions of bacteria in the very room each and everyone of us are in right now that is capable of making us sick given the right circumstances.




Scientists though have proved that people with pets live longer than people that don't due to the calming effect they provide... nothing is more calming than a fish tank...

... unless you have psychotic danios! ;)

[geekboy]

One area I could imagine an indirect health risk is through the available non-prescription medications for aquaria. I've been using a variety of antibiotics on a pair of my fish for nearly a month, and I can only assume the risk of breeding "superbugs" in my home is increasing.

This, ironically, is going on at the same time as a prescription for antibiotics that I've been taking for an ear infection. Perhaps this truly is the perfect storm.

[corrieberry]

I can see it now...worldwide panic because of a pandemic caused by fish-owners. We'd obviously all be immune because of repeated exposure and built-up immunity... ;)

(If I got my science wrong there, don't be angry...I'm an engineer, not a biologist!)

[RDTigger]

we come in contact with so many things that can easily carry infectious diseases or simple bacteria...

It is up to our immune systems to fight it, and most of the time our immune systems work. An aquarium with the right conditions is just another opportunity for infection if your immune system is weakened by a MAJOR infectious disease... If you do have a disease like that you will have been warned in advance about much greater risks to your health than visiting an aquarium.

[Hebily]

Scientists though have proved that people with pets live longer than people that don't due to the calming effect they provide... nothing is more calming than a fish tank...

... unless you have psychotic danios! ;)


Yes, fish tanks are much more calming than dogs. In fact, quite often pups add stress to my life... Same with the cats. At least when fish make messes and cost you money it is anticipated... (costs for food... having to do cleaning and maintenance... ) When you have to clean up poop cause the cat is mad at you, or the dog ate the cord for something, or the cat ate a necklace, or a bag of tuna that had been in the cabinet, or the dog pooped somewhere and played in it until it was completely covered, and then tracked it throughout the house.... yeah, sometimes pets cause stress...