Mycobacteria can get into open wounds and cuts in the skin and cause a localised bacterial infection called a granuloma. This needs treating otherwise it will spread over time and people have lost fingers and limbs from not treating it. It normally affects people with a weakened immune system, or old or very young people.
Everyone who works in an aquarium should wash their hands and arms with warm soapy water after they have finished working in the tank. If you can't wash with soapy water, wash your hands and arms with 60%+ alcohol and let it dry.
People with open wounds on their skin should avoid getting aquarium water on the damaged tissue until the skin has healed.
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SEE A DOCTOR ASAP
You need to get a doctor to take a swab of the wound and send that off for culturing in a lab. After they have identified the actual species of bacteria, they treat it with anti-biotics at the lab to find out which anti-biotic is suitable for your particular infection.
If the doctor has not taken a swab and sent it off to the lab, get him to immediately.
Do not take any medication until you know exactly what species it is because some are resistant to various medications and if you don't use the correct medication, you won't get rid of it, you simply make it more resistant to medications.
Once the lab has identified the actual species of bacteria involved, and found a medication that kills it, you go onto anti-biotics for 3-6 months, or until it is gone completely.
While you are on anti-biotics, try to minimise sugar and flour in your diet. The anti-biotics kill the good bacteria in your digestive tract along with the bad ones in the wound. If you have lots of sugar and flour based foods/ drink during that time, you can encourage yeast infections in your gut and develop food intolerances because of the microbial imbalance in your intestine. If this happens you will probably need probiotics after you finish the anti-biotics.
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WHILE YOU WAIT FOR THE LAB
In the mean time, you can try raw honey on the wound. It has anti-bacterial properties and might help to slow the spread while you wait for the lab results.
To use honey, simply wash the infected area with soapy water and then dry it with a tissue. Throw the tissue in the bin because it will have the bacteria on it. Spread raw honey on the wound and wrap it in a tissue (with a bit of tape holding the tissue around your finger) or a bandage.
*NB* Do not use a sticky bandaid or sticky bandage because you damage the skin when you remove it and the bacteria can spread to that damaged tissue.
Twice a day, remove the tissue/ bandage and wash the wound with warm soapy water, rinse well and dry with a tissue. Then re-apply more honey and a new tissue/ bandage. Do this until you have been on the correct anti-biotics for at least a week.
If you can find honey from Manuka or areas with tea tree or Eucalypt plantations, that is better because it has more antiseptic properties than normal honey made from common garden flowers.
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WEAR RUBBER GLOVES
Until your hands have healed, wear rubber gloves when working in the tank and wash them with hot soapy water afterwards. Then wash your hands with warm soapy water after you remove the gloves.
Don't let anyone use the gloves for washing the dishes or anything else.
Avoid working in aquariums if you have nicks, cuts, scratches or any sort of open wound on your skin.
