The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is reporting that people are getting skin infections from handling live or raw fish or seafood at certain markets in Chinatown. The rare infections are caused by the Mycobacterium marinum. The bacteria enters the skin through a cut or scrape, or if someone cuts themselves while handling the raw fish.
The Health Department has identified 30 cases of this infection so far. All of the patients say they handled live or raw fish or seafood purchased at markets in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens before the problem started.
Symptoms of the infection include red, tender swelling under the skin of hands and arms, difficulty moving fingers, and pain in the hand or arm. To prevent these infections, wear waterproof gloves when you handle live or raw fish or seafood from markets in Chinatown. There is no risk associated in consuming food from these markets.
If you do exhibit these symptoms and did visit Chinatown in New York City, see a dermatologist or infectious disease physician and tell them you handled raw seafood. Treatment is with antibiotics. Traditional Chinese medicine does not cure the infection.
If left untreated, these infections can progress over weeks and months into a serious infection that could require surgery to correct. For questions, call the Health Department’s Bureau of Communicable Disease at 347-396-2600 and ask to speak to a physician.
