Can aquarium fish diseases spread to humans? How do I prevent them?

Thanks for your question about Nugget. For the human health part of your question, the biggest disease that we worry about passing from reptiles to humans is Salmonella. There are other bacteria that they can also carry, but they don’t seem to cause as many problems for humans as Salmonella does. I would recommend washing your hands thoroughly after handing Nugget or cleaning the enclosure to help with this, and to clean the area where you dump the water (ie if you use the sink). For issues relating to a dirty enclosure for Nugget, there are many health problems that can occur with poor husbandry. They can get very sick from exposure to the high levels of bacteria present in their poop, and may stop eating, growing, etc. Often these infections take a long time to treat, and some reptiles don’t recover. I hope that answers your questions, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Unfortunately there is no effective cure for mycobacteriosis in fish. Skimmer should be removed from the tank and the water of the main tank should changed gradually but completely over the next month. There are environmental factors that favor growth of mycobacterium which include low dissolved oxygen, low salinity, low pH, warmer water, and high organic loads (food feces and vegetable matter). Various antibiotics such as rifampin, erythromycin, streptomycin, kanamycin, doxycycline, and minocycline have been suggested as possible treatments, but a clinical cure is unlikely. I would suggest a check up at your local aquatic vet to confirm your suspicion and attempt a treatment.

Thanks for reaching out about your fish. It is good to remember that all these antibiotics are not absorbed systemically through the water, and placing these antibiotics in the water will likely damage your biological filter. Many, many things can cause swim bladder disease, few are bacterial in nature. Therefore antibiotics won't fix the problem. These medicines should only be used after a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis made. Using antibiotics indiscrimantly can create superbugs, with resistance to multiple antibiotics. Good luck.

Yes, a cat can make you sick. If you are pregnant, it's not recommend to scoop cat litter because you can get toxoplasmosis from their feces. Toxoplasmosis can cause abortion in humans and birth defects in this fetus. You can also get intestinal worms, ringworm, and flea bites if your cat has fleas. You can prevent intestinal worms by making sure Kiki is up to date on his deworming treatments, treating him right away if you see ringworm, and keeping your cat on a monthly flea treatment.

There are a lot of answers to your questions. Yes, there are many zoonotic diseases that can go between cats and humans. Too many to list here. Yes, even indoor cats can become ill. We can bring home diseases on us, and well as immune mediated diseases and cancers. I don’t really understand your last question. If you would like to have a more detailed conversation about zoonotic diseases a consult might be beneficial to you. In general practicing good hygiene after handling and cleaning up after animals is important. Also- if animals show any signs of being sick have them evaluated by a veterinarian. Thanks for using Pet Coach.

Usually the Clostridial species that causes clinical signs in humans is not the same one to cause clinical signs in birds. I'm not saying not to be careful but I don't think it is likely for your SO to transfer the bacteria to your birds and make them ill. Hand washing is absolutely the number one way to prevent transmission of disease. Be sure it is proper handwashing - signing Happy Birthday twice while rubbing the soap around your hands, then rinse. Also, as you stated, minimizing handling of the birds by your SO during this time. Sounds like you have it under control! Clostridial bacteria release a toxin. The toxin is what make them sick, not the bacteria itself. If the birds were to catch it, these are some symptoms to watch for: * rapid deterioration of health * loss of appetite * weight loss * listlessness * bloody feces * undigested food in feces Even after the bird is cured of bacterial infection, the toxin will remain in the bird’s body -- causing the symptoms to continue. At the first sign of any symptoms get them to an avian vet ASAP. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for reaching out about your parrot fish and including a picture. Unfortunately the picture does not help to identify the lesion. There are multiple parasites (and different treatments) that can infest the gills, but very few are visible to the naked eye. Anchorworms would be one such parasite. A short (5-15 minute) fresh water dip can help to decrease parasite loads. Fresh water should be well aerated with an airstone, and monitored the entire length of the treatment. A visit to the veterinarian would allow a gill and skin scrape to identify the parasite, and therefore prescribe a more precise treatment. Good luck.