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Hard-To-Treat Skin Infection Affects Two Tattooed Men

by VR Sreeraman on Aug 12 2011 4:42 PM

 Hard-To-Treat Skin Infection Affects Two Tattooed Men
Two men have developed a rare but difficult-to-treat bacterial infection after getting tattoos at a store in Seattle, US health officials said.
One 44-year-old man was confirmed to have a case of Mycobacterium haemophilum after getting a tattoo on his arm in the western US city in August 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The infection, which showed up as a bumpy red rash and a pus infection on the skin's surface, resisted treatment with several antibiotics but eventually disappeared after nine months.

A second suspected case was reported in a 35-year-old man who got a tattoo at the same place two months later, but tests were inconclusive. The CDC said it considered it a "suspected" instance of infection.

The source of the bacteria remains a mystery. Authorities said the tattoo parlor was in compliance with safety regulations but told the owner to use sterilized water for rinsing skin and diluting ink instead of tap water.

Source-AFP


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