Scary dead fish story

[MyKey]

While tubing this sunday on Cayuga my sons friend gave us the cut sign and was looking at his foot. He said it felt like somehtinig bit or stung him. There was a scratch and a small puncture wound on the top of his foot. About three hours later his foot was swollen and after we dropped him off home, he could not touch it and was running a fever. They found a fish bone broke off after cutting him open to see what was showing up on the X-ray. Now he's admitted with antibiotic IV but the infection is still spreading and they are running more tests. Anyone ever deal with something like this? We feel awful about it.

[skipper19]

Fish have a protective slime, but after they are dead it can have bacteria form from decomposing effects. A bullhead or catfish can leave a nasty wound with the dorsal and pectoral fin bones.

My uncle once stepped on a bullhead in the bottom of the boat at night and the bone went thru his boot and into the bottom of his foot. It swelled up bad and he could hardly walk on it but never went and got treatment for it. It eventually went back down but the wound itself would not heal for a long time.

Hard to say what kind of bacteria would be on a dead fish but some form of bad bacteria is likely. The lab should be able to identify it.

Hope he gets better soon. I can feel your anxiety, when a fun day turns into something scary.

Mark

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[carpedium]

That is certainly a scary story. Nothing you could have done though, I feel for ya. Thoughts and prayers with your sons friend

[GAMBLER]

Could have been from a bullhead or catfish stinger. By brother had something similar happen.

[CaptSpike]

I got stuck by a spiney dogfish when releasing him one day on the ocean. Hours later my hand swelled up like a balloon. I had heard stories of infections from fish wounds so I headed to the ER. The doctors didn't have a clue what a spiney dogfish was or how to treat me. I think they cleaned it up and sent me home. Swelling went down later. I also heard the redfish spines can get you pretty bad too. Almost impossible not to get pricked by them if you have to handle them. Dropped a herring net in 300' of water one day and it came up full of the redfish. I had poke wounds all over my hands when that chore was done. Didn't swell up like the dogfish did but I did get puss on most locations a day later.

Spike

[LongLine]

Ditto what gambler said. I caught a bull head one late spring on the surface over 30 ft of water. I always thought they strictly hugged the bottom till that happened. And their "fins" will make you swell up something fierce.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Jimmyi]

I saw it happen a few years ago at the New York State Sheriff's Camp on Kueka Lake. Some kids were playing around tossing a dead sunfish at each other and one of the kids got hit in the leg by the dorsal fin. It started out as just a small puncture wound but the kid ended up at the hospital with a serious infection, swelling and fever. It wasn't good.

[carpedium]

Any update?

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[MyKey]

Update: good news is they expect to release him on Friday. Lab detected 2 strains of Ecoli and now they are saying it was a sliver of treated lumber VS a fish bone. Maybe all the high water explains it all?? Thanks for all the responses...back to the fishing.

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