>Yep, I'm still here.
>
>Myxobacteria and mycobacteria are not at all related. Dr. Blazer is a fish
>health professional, and an expert particularly with fish bacteria, and the
>article you quoted is correct.
>
>I'm sure most people on the list have heard of columnaris disease? The
>bacterium that is responsible for that disease is a member of Myxobacteria.
>Columnaris is the most common bacterial disease which I see and it's
>certainly easier to deal with than mycobacterial infections. Just dropping
>the pH, increasing salinity, or decreasing the temperature is enough to
>arrest a columnaris outbreak without using antibiotics.
>
>I know hundreds of fish health professionals who are working on
>mycobacterial infections in fishes, and there is no effective treatment.
>It's important to remember that mycobacteria are not specific for fishes.
>Any animal living in the environment where mycobacteria are found are
>subject to mycobacterial infections.
Thanks Denise, I don't know the symptoms caused from Myxobacteria. Is
Aqualink correct in their statement of symptoms?
It would be easy to assume that they are indeed talking about Piscine TB and
its a bit unusual to call it "Myxobacteriosis". In fact you don't find
Myxobacteria mentioned at all in most fish disease books, certainly not the
common aquarium ones?
An interesting note on Mycobacteria is the recent infection of a number of
aquarists here in Brisbane over the last 12 months. It might be a sign that
this disease is becoming more common than we think. I think our own resident
Medico has treated a couple of cases - is that so Bruce?
I still believe that heat is the governing factor in a fish outbreak :-)
Adrian.
Adrian R. Tappin
Brisbane, Australia.
"Home of the Rainbowfish"
http://www.ecn.net.au/~atappin/home.htm