Mycobacterium marinum is an opportunistic pathogen inducing infection in fresh and marine water fish. This pathogen causes necrotizing granuloma like tuberculosis, morbidity and mortality in fish. The cell wall-associated lipid phthiocerol dimycocerosates, phenolic glycolipids and ESAT-6 secretion system 1 (ESX-1) are the conserved virulence determinant of the organism. Human infections with Mycobacterium marinum hypothetically are classified into four clinical categories (type I–type IV) and have been associated with the exposure of damaged skin to polluted water from fish pools or contacting objects contaminated with infected fish. Fish mycobacteriosis is clinically manifested and characterized in man by purple painless nodules, liable to develop into superficial crusting ulceration with scar formation. Early laboratory diagnosis of M. marinum including histopathology, culture and PCR is essential and critical as the clinical response to antibiotics requires months to be attained. The pathogenicity and virulence determinants of M. marinum need to be thoroughly and comprehensively investigated and understood. In spite of accumulating information on this pathogen, the different relevant data should be compared, connected and globally compiled. This article is reviewing the epidemiology, virulence factors, diagnosis and disease management in fish while casting light on the potential associated public health hazards.

海分枝杆菌是一种机会性病原体，可引起淡水鱼和海水鱼感染。这种病原体会引起像结核病一样的坏死性肉芽肿、鱼类的发病和死亡。细胞壁相关的脂质 phthiocerol dimycocerosates、酚糖脂和 ES​​AT-6 分泌系统 1 (ESX-1) 是生物体的保守毒力决定因素。假设人类感染海分枝杆菌可分为四个临床类别（I 型至 IV 型），并且与受损皮肤暴露于鱼池污染水或接触受感染鱼污染的物体有关。鱼类分枝杆菌病在人类中的临床表现和特征为紫色无痛结节，易于发展为浅表结痂溃疡并形成疤痕。海分枝杆菌的早期实验室诊断（包括组织病理学、培养和 PCR）至关重要，因为对抗生素的临床反应需要数月时间才能达到。需要彻底、全面地研究和了解海分枝杆菌的致病性和毒力决定因素。尽管积累了有关该病原体的信息，但仍应比较、连接和全球汇编不同的相关数据。本文回顾了鱼类的流行病学、毒力因子、诊断和疾病管理，同时阐明了潜在的相关公共卫生危害。