​https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/doc/?id=10160836&pid=19239

Zoonotic diseases from pet fish are very rare, but rare doesn’t mean never.  That can make messaging around the disease risks from pet fish challenging, because there’s a need to balance costs vs benefits, and being proactive vs paranoid.
I have a saltwater fish aquarium, and I don’t stay up at night worrying that it’s an impending source of doom. For managing the aquarium, I use some really basic and non-disruptive common sense, though. I did some work on it a couple days ago and paid attention to two things: I kept my hand with a few cuts on it out of the tank, and after I was done I washed my hands.  Common sense and hygiene 101.
The most commonly reported zoonotic disease issue from aquariums is probably Mycobacterium marinum infection, also known as “fish tank granuloma.” A recent paper in Emerging Infectious Diseases (Dawson et al. 2021) describes a case of another type of infection acquired from a household aquarium, caused by a bug that’s gotten some press recently for other reasons: Burkholderia pseudomallei, the cause of melioidosis.
Melioidosis is a nasty and potentially life-threatening disease. In North America, melioidosis is typically associated with travel to tropical or subtropical areas where the bacterium can be found in water and soil.  People are exposed through ingestion or inhalation of the bacterium, or contamination of broken skin. However, local sources in North America have been identified, such as the recent outbreak of human melioidosis cases in the U.S. that was linked to contaminated aromatherapy products.
The case in the recent EID paper was a 56-year-old woman in the U.S. that was hospitalized because of fever, cough and chest pain. She had a somewhat complex medical history, and had been taking immunosuppressive drugs up until approximately 1 month before she got sick. Culture of her blood identified B. pseudomallei.  Fortunately, she responded well to a few months of antibiotic treatment.
The first question asked after the bacterium was isolated was likely “where have you traveled recently and when?” However, she had no history of travel.
As part of the next stage of the investigation, they found out the patient had two freshwater aquaria, from which they collected samples for testing. (It’s not clear how quickly they moved from “no travel history” to “maybe the fish tanks are the source” and how many steps were in between.)
There’s nice description of events as they relate to the aquaria. The patient had purchased two small aquaria about 3 months before she got sick. In one (tank A) she kept cherry barbs and in the other (tank B) she kept guppies. She also purchased some tiger barbs for tank B, but that was after she got sick.
Interestingly, she reported that the water in tank B had been persistently cloudier than the other tank, and it required more cleaning, which she did with bare hands.  That’s the aquarium from which B. pseudomallei was isolated.
Presumably, the woman was exposed while cleaning the aquarium, either via a break in her skin, contact of contaminated water with her nose, eyes or mouth (e.g. splashes, contact with wet hands) or maybe contact with areas that got contaminated by water from the aquarium (e.g. areas around a sink down which water was poured).
There were also dead fish in tank B when public health investigators came to visit. That raises the question of whether the fish might also have been sick. We’re not going to recommend testing all dead pet fish for melioidosis as a surveillance tool, but it once again illustrates the potential inter-relatedness of human and animal health.
The article concludes “To prevent or reduce risk of exposure, particularly among persons who have major risk factors, simple precautions can be taken when handling freshwater fish, snails, aquatic plants, aquariums, or other materials in contact with aquarium water, such as gravel, substrate, decorations, filters, and other equipment. CDC recommends thorough handwashing with soap and water before and after handling or cleaning aquariums and feeding fish, wearing gloves to cover any cuts or wounds in the hand while handling fish or aquariums or allowing wounds to fully heal first, avoiding cleaning fish aquariums if immunocompromised or in areas where immunocompromised persons might be present, and not allowing children less than 5 years of age to clean fish aquariums.”

• All pretty standard statements, although glove use is a challenge if you’re putting your hand into the water past the wrist, unless you use full arm gloves.  You have need to be aware that there will often still be some exposure of the hands through leaks in gloves.

So, don’t freak out about your fish, but use some common sense, and remember that if you’re sick, it’s always good to make sure your healthcare providers know about any animal contacts you’ve had recently (in your household or elsewhere).

Credit: VIN
Published: December 10, 2021
By J. Scott Weese, DVM, DACVIM

Lizards like Chamillionaire, a veiled chameleon, need ultraviolet B light to produce the vitamin D needed for their intestines to absorb calcium.When Dr. La'Toya Latney first met Chamillionaire, the youngster was suffering from serious bone damage.
The 6-month-old veiled chameleon, a species native to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, had been relinquished by his owner at the veterinary hospital where Latney works in New York City. Chamillionaire hadn't been getting the right type of light, hindering his body's ability to absorb calcium.
"I adopted him from an owner who did not know better," Latney said.
In the hands of a more knowledgable owner, Chamillionaire lived to a respectable 4 years old. Now, a new rule in the United States has increased the chance that, even with owners who know better, numerous species of captive animals may not get the heat and light they need to be healthy.
A ban on inefficient "general service lamps" was announced by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2022 and went into effect on July 3 this year. The rule is intended to encourage the use of more efficient lighting sources, such as LED lamps, that are better for the environment.
The problem is that some of the banned bulbs emit a particular spectrum of light, ultraviolet B (UVB), that readily activates the production of vitamin D needed to facilitate calcium absorption in the intestines.
Calcium is a vital mineral for all animals, including humans, that's involved in bone structure, muscle contraction and several cellular processes.
"The ban should be a concern of animal caretakers for many species," said Latney, a senior veterinarian at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center who also is chair of the Association for Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV). "This is particularly true for captive reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammal species that have limited exposure to natural, unfiltered sunlight."
In brief
* Veterinarians are warning that a ban introduced in the United States last month of certain inefficient light bulbs could harm pets with limited exposure to natural sunlight. The welfare of reptile and amphibian species is of particular concern.
* The ban encompasses UVB bulbs that help animals produce vitamin D needed to facilitate calcium absorption, and basking bulbs that warm ectothermic animals dependent on external heat sources.
* Legal alternative sources of heat and light, such as LED lamps and heating pads, are available, but none are ideal, practitioners maintain.
* A U.S. Department of Energy spokesperson said the agency is working with the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums "to find solutions to their needs."
Still, practitioners like Latney are especially concerned for reptile and amphibian species that are more dependent on artificial lighting and therefore overrepresented when it comes to calcium-related diseases.
Calcium production isn't their only concern. Reptiles and amphibians are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature depends on external heat sources. So-called basking bulbs that provide a controllable heat source, whether via ultraviolet A or infrared radiation, also have been caught up in the ban.
"The new rules could definitely negatively affect the welfare of a lot of animals in captivity," said Dr. Kimberlee Wojick, the director of veterinary services at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island.
Although alert to the potential impact on the zoo's small reptile and amphibian collection, Wojick worries more about animals kept in people's homes.
"Professional places such as zoos and aquariums are going to be able to pivot and modify things a little bit more easily than a reptile hobbyist," Wojick said. "So I think the animals and the people that will suffer the most are just the regular consumers that would be buying these lamps and lights from pet stores."
Do legal alternatives exist?
A U.S. Department of Energy spokesperson told the VIN News Service that the agency is "actively working" with the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums "to find solutions to their needs" amid growing calls by veterinarians, zookeepers and pet owners for an exemption for animal husbandry.
Numerous alternative sources of heat and light remain available, but none are ideal, according to practitioners contacted by VIN News.
Whether heating, lighting or both are needed depends on the animal; some species are more sensitive to a lack of heat or UVB than others. Snakes, for example, typically don't require special UVB bulbs, just basking bulbs for warmth.
On the heating side, alternatives such as ceramic heating pads simply aren't as effective as basking bulbs, said Dr. Brad Lock, a reptile consultant for the Veterinary Information Network, an online community for the profession and parent of VIN News.
"Things like heat emitters, heat pads and radiant heat panels do not provide the best heat sources and are very drying to the animal and the enclosure environment," he said.
They can also cause injuries, according to Latney. "Heating pads have been reported to cause severe and even fatal thermal burns in reptiles," she said. "The hobbyist shift from heating pads to heating lamps occurred largely due to this continued welfare concern."
On the lighting side, alternative bulbs providing UVB for calcium absorption include LED lights and mercury vapor bulbs — the latter providing a combination of UVB and heat. But it's unclear whether LEDs, a relatively new technology, provide sufficient UVB for many species, Latney said, and mercury vapor bulbs could emit unhealthy levels of either UVB or heat.
"When heat and UVB emittance are coupled in the same unit, you lose the balance needed for species that may have inverse requirements for UVB exposure levels and environmental heat," Latney said, offering the example of leopard geckos suffering toxic reactions to extreme UVB exposure. Amphibians, for their part, have sensitive skin that puts them at more risk of overheating, especially if kept in small enclosures.
Wojick in Rhode Island agrees the bulb ban will make it harder for carers to mimic the natural sunlight conditions they're trying to recreate for their animals.
"We have such a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians that we're using these lights for," she said. "We really need to have a lot of tools in our arsenal, and having this big group of them suddenly taken away will have unintended consequences."
Animals could be exposed to natural light outdoors, but Latney cautions: "UVB radiation worldwide varies. For example, studies have shown that the amount of UVB exposure in North Carolina is not as strong as Northern Australia, so bearded dragons are at risk without additional UVB support …"
She also cautions against giving oral vitamin D supplements to herbivores and omnivores, "and honestly even some carnivores," explaining that even seemingly inoccuous over-the-counter products found in pet stores "can be dangerous if administered at unknown amounts to captive species."

An X-ray of Chamillionaire, taken when he was 6 months old, shows a severe reduction in bone density (osteopenia) and a folding fracture of his left femur, which healed in an abnormal position. The damage was caused by inadequate exposure to UV light.The clock is ticking
None of the sources contacted by VIN News told of any animals falling ill because of the bulb ban. That may be because the ban has been in place for fewer than two months, and the bulbs, depending on type and use, can last for three to six months, perhaps longer.
Moreover, animal owners and pet shops have been stockpiling bulbs, according to Phil Goss, president of the U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK), a nonprofit advocacy group. "I've heard stories of people buying as many cases as they could afford," he said.
Although the ban applies to the manufacture, distribution and sale of specified bulbs, Goss said the DOE doesn't appear to be taking an active enforcement approach — at least not yet — leaving room for pet shops to continue selling stock on hand. He said he's aware of at least one manufacturer that has stopped making the banned bulbs and entered into discussions with the DOE to push for an exemption for animal husbandry.
Bulb manufacturers in the U.S. include Zoo Med, Fluker's and Hagen, said Lock, the VIN reptile consultant. "I have been buying a lot of bulbs to have them in case this does actually start affecting availability," he said. "The prices, of course, have already started increasing."
Financial barriers may hamper keepers from obtaining alternative products. For instance, the compact incandescent UVB bulbs being banned cost roughly $20 to $30 each, compared with around $80 and upwards for LED UVB bulbs, Goss said. LEDs typically last longer and consume less electricity than incandescent lights, but Goss said their design is another concern.
"Compact [incandescent] bulbs spread light more widely because of the way they're made with the curved glass — they shoot UVB all over the place," he said. "The LEDs are more a focused-type bulb, so if you've got a bigger enclosure you might need three or four LED bulbs, and then your expense is going up almost 20 times."
Goss also worries about fire hazards, should animal owners start running multiple electrical cords to their setups.
Whether animals successfully adapt to alternative sources of heat and light might be hard to tell, especially with those belonging to hobbyists who don't seek regular veterinary care — and even with those who do. Wojick and Goss noted that reptiles can be good at masking illness.
"It's crazy what they can handle," Goss said. "Someone might try an alternative they think is OK, but they might not notice outside symptoms for a year or more."
The ARAV and USARK have been encouraging members and nonmembers alike to write to lawmakers requesting an exemption. Latney said hobbyists, herpetologists and organizations including zoos, universities and animal welfare groups, have expressed concerns about the ban, which have been presented to the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee.
"I think the Department of Energy is trying to do good things," said Wojick, who has been leading the lobbying effort for the ARAV. "We obviously need energy conservation. We don't want to waste our resources. But this is such a niche market, and it would be great if an exemption is eventually made for animal husbandry."

Credit: VIN
Published: August 29, 2024
By Ross Kelly