Chinatown Fish Markets Get Hit by Bacteria Infection

Fish consumers from New York's China Town markets have been reporting large red bumps and lesions emerging on their skin. Heath officials have identified the bumps as a rare bacterial infection and are urging people who are exhibiting its symptoms to get immediate treatment.

The infection, known as aquarium granuloma, is a skin infection that occurs when an individual comes in direct contact with infected raw fish. The infection's chief cause, a bacteria called Mycobacterium marinum, has been found in over 67 percent of environmental aquatic specimen collections, indicating that the bacteria is highly prevalent in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, according to New York City health officials, infections from the bacteria are still rare. This is because the average person has to be in direct contact with the bacteria for a relatively long amount of time before an infection can take its hold, where the bacteria can find its way into the epidermis through small cuts or cracked skin.

In-fact, according to a New York City Department of Health public warning, this is the first outbreak infection to have occurred in the last two decades. So far only approximately 30 people have been infected, the majority of them are cooks and market workers who are regularly in contact with raw fish. All of the infected have reported that they either bought or handled raw fish from one of New York City's three Chinatowns -- located in Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.

N.Y.C. Health Department officials have assured consumers that the fish is still perfectly safe to eat, as the bacteria quickly dies once exposed to heat. The bacterial infection itself is also relatively harmful, but if left untreated, it may lead to more severe complications.

In light of this, health officials are urging those infected to immediately begin antibiotic treatments. While many of the infected have reportedly turned to traditional Chinese medicine, officials write that the alternative treatments have proved largely ineffective at eliminating the ailment, and that a certified medical professional should be contacted immediately in the event of the infection worsening.

An N.Y.C. public health warning was issued on March 5.