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Ma. State says striped bass may carry skin disease

6K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  JakeF 
#1 ·
State says striped bass may carry skin disease
April 6, 2006

Following an outbreak of a skin disease in striped bass from Chesapeake Bay that can also affect humans, state officials are asking local anglers to keep an eye out as the popular game fish approaches local waters in the next few weeks.
Recent reports that nearly three quarters of the striped bass in Chesapeake Bay are infected with a bacteria that can cause severe skin infections in humans has the state Division of Marine Fisheries also urging anglers to handle their catches with care.
The disease has yet to show up in fish in local waters, but that doesn't mean it won't, said Gary Nelson, an aquatic biologist with the agency.
''We would recommend to anglers to always have gloves when they handle these fish," he said. ''We have been aware of this disease for a while and we haven't seen any evidence of it up here, but there are still a lot of questions that are unanswered."
Among them is whether the fish that have made their way up the Merrimack River were exposed to the disease at all. Many of the striped bass that head up the Merrimack in late spring come from the Chesapeake, but it's not understood why none are sick when they get to this region, Nelson said. ''Being in that bay," he said, ''there are a lot of water-quality issues."
Nelson said it's possible that when the fish go from Maryland's Chesapeake Bay into the Atlantic the cold saltwater helps them recover from the infection. Still, with so many of the Chesapeake Bay striped bass affected, Nelson said, he is asking anglers who find fish that appear sick or with unusual lesions to contact him at 978-282-0308.
 
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#3 ·
Mycobacteriosis.
Known sometimes as fishhandlers disease.
These are different diseases actually. There is some lit here on it if you do a search. Cuzin ed got stuck with a spine last year and got fish handlers.
 
#6 ·
That was the worst I have ever had or seen. I got stuck the day me and baitrunner went out and I didn't think anything of it. The next morning my hands started to swell and I had a few small blister in the area where I may have had small cuts.. my fingers swelled I bet 3 or 4 times the size terrible pain and spreading blisters... tore the heck out of my hand for a few weeks and was on strong antibiotics... gloves will be worn by me thats for sure
 
#7 ·
Hey Cuz,, I wonder if you caught that from handling the crabs or the Tautog? Sure is a good argument for wearing gloves that's for sure, especially if you already have cuts or nicks in your skin. I always try to rinse off my hands in the water after handling bait or boating a fish.

I got lucky last year. Pulled this dorsal fin spine out of my knee after fishing with Roccus and Jonny, and it didn't get infected at all. We had so many fish jumping around in the boat it's a wonder we all didn't end up stuck somewhere, lol.

 
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