The MMWR report from the CDC this week includes a study of 44 tattoo related incidences of MRSA occurring in 3 states (Kentucky, Vermont, and Ohio) and and connected to 13 different unlicensed tattoo artists. The MRSA patients ranged in age from 15 to 42 and were 65% male and the cases were collected between June 2004 through August 2005.
Although gloves were reportedly worn by all tattooists in four of the six clusters (defined by spatial and temporal relationships), adherence to other infection-control measures (e.g., changing gloves between clients and performing appropriate hand hygiene, skin antisepsis, and disinfection of equipment and surfaces) was not practiced. Investigators determined that three of the tattooists in Ohio had recently been incarcerated in correctional facilities, a potential site for exposure to MRSA infection (4). However, none of the tattooists from Kentucky or Vermont reported previous incarceration. None of the 34 persons with primary cases were incarcerated when they received their tattoos. Five patients reported seeing lesions on the hands of tattooists that were consistent in description with MRSA skin infection, and one tattooist reported a pustule on his finger; however, no specimens from tattooists were cultured. All 13 primary patients in the first of the four Ohio clusters reported receiving their tattoos in public places (e.g., parks or private residences) from tattooists who used homemade tattooing equipment consisting of guitar-string tattoo needles and computer ink-jet printer cartridges for dye. The persons with secondary cases were exposed to persons with primary cases by direct contact because they were living in the same house or had close personal contact.
Ugh. Needless to say, if you see lesions, pustules or anything of the sort on someone who is getting ready to touch you in any way, please reconsider the situation and walk away. Right now, I would consider getting a tattoo a high risk activity (as I do any elective surgery) and one which should be avoided. Read the rest of the article at CDC.gov.
CDC, Kentucky, MMWR, MRSA, Ohio, tattoos, Vermont
7 responses so far ↓
Leslie // Jan 31, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Wow. I didn’t know that you can get MRSA from tattoo’s, that is a real eye opener.
amanda // Feb 20, 2008 at 8:47 am
just dont go to anyone with nasty stuff on there hands make sure the place about to poke you with thousands of needles is clean dah might help ya not get nasty stuff popping out of ur tattoo !
kasey // Jun 20, 2008 at 1:01 am
nice work those look like real blisters
Rick // May 2, 2011 at 2:52 pm
My 17 year old stepdaughter just got confirmed that she has MRSA from her doctor. The outbreak appeared shortly after she got her unauthorized tattoo at a place in WV located on route 28 behind Blankenship’s Country store in Wiley Ford WV. The outbreak looks identical to the picture above on article.
randy a holder // Dec 20, 2011 at 10:38 pm
A Blog to begin the drafting of a Nationwide Bill to be enacted at state levels and then on Federal levels for nationwide enforcement of laws and regulations and codes to stop unlicensed tattooing. Sign up, join the TATTOOING PUBLIC SAFETY BILL 2012 make suggestions, get involved become your States Representative.
The United States is experiencing an increasing threat against it National Public Health, individuals performing tattooing without licensing are causing the rise of the public health risk through disease transmission from Tattooing applications. The tattooing demand has been increasing annually while the supply of ready available cash for most households has significantly declining every since the US economic crises. A significantly number of US consumers are now receiving tattoo applications from unlicensed individuals performing unsanitary Tattoo applications a much lower cost.
REGULATIONS: There is a lack of regulations in place for individuals choosing to provide tattooing services, presently they operate outside of the present codes, and laws, this gap is significantly diluting the bear of protection that has been afforded to the nations public through the enactment of regulations codes and for regulating the tattoo profession and business operations within our Nation.
UNLICENSED TATTOO ARTIST: there has been huge increasing in the threat against the Nation Public Health from tattoo procedures being preformed by Unlicensed Individuals acting as tattoo artist It is alarming that in every city and state in the United States of America. the actions of these individuals are putting the general public risk, by performing 1000′s of life threatening tattoo applications daily across the US by unqualified individuals in unsanitary conditions.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASE TRANMITSITION; Transmissible by direct or indirect contact; communicable: a contagious disease
can be transmitted from unsanitary tattoo procedures. Presently statistic shows that tattoo procedures are being sought out by 16 to 25 age groups which presently suffer a high degree of jobless rate and are most vulnerable to making life threatening choices, with tattooing applications being performed on lower income levels and younger consumer groups, the same groups whom are already at a greater health risk for disease transmitting and poor medical care it not surprising that we haven’t had an epidemic. Further more there is an increasing level of procedures being performed by untrained and unlicensed individuals at all social levels. This problem presently is the single largest threat to public health other then sex transmissible disease with the highest penitential to cause a nation wide spread of diseases in our nation.
randy a holder // Dec 20, 2011 at 10:39 pm
A Blog to begin the drafting of a Nationwide Bill to be enacted at state levels and then on Federal levels for nationwide enforcement of laws and regulations and codes to stop unlicensed tattooing. Sign up, join the TATTOOING PUBLIC SAFETY BILL 2012 make suggestions, get involved become your States Representative.
The United States is experiencing an increasing threat against it National Public Health, individuals performing tattooing without licensing are causing the rise of the public health risk through disease transmission from Tattooing applications. The tattooing demand has been increasing annually while the supply of ready available cash for most households has significantly declining every since the US economic crises. A significantly number of US consumers are now receiving tattoo applications from unlicensed individuals performing unsanitary Tattoo applications a much lower cost.
REGULATIONS: There is a lack of regulations in place for individuals choosing to provide tattooing services, presently they operate outside of the present codes, and laws, this gap is significantly diluting the bear of protection that has been afforded to the nations public through the enactment of regulations codes and for regulating the tattoo profession and business operations within our Nation.
UNLICENSED TATTOO ARTIST: there has been huge increasing in the threat against the Nation Public Health from tattoo procedures being preformed by Unlicensed Individuals acting as tattoo artist It is alarming that in every city and state in the United States of America. the actions of these individuals are putting the general public risk, by performing 1000′s of life threatening tattoo applications daily across the US by unqualified individuals in unsanitary conditions.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASE TRANSMITTING Transmissible by direct or indirect contact communicable: a contagious disease
can be transmitted from unsanitary tattoo procedures. Presently statistic shows that tattoo procedures are being sought out by 16 to 25 age groups which presently suffer a high degree of jobless rate and are most vulnerable to making life threatening choices, with tattooing applications being performed on lower income levels and younger consumer groups, the same groups whom are already at a greater health risk for disease transmitting and poor medical care it not surprising that we haven’t had an epidemic. Further more there is an increasing level of procedures being performed by untrained and unlicensed individuals at all social levels. This problem presently is the single largest threat to public health other then sex transmissible disease with the highest penitential to cause a nation wide spread of diseases in our nation.
randy a holder // Dec 20, 2011 at 10:41 pm
A Blog Link stop-tattoo-scratcher.blogspot.com
to begin the drafting of a Nationwide Bill to be enacted at state levels and then on Federal levels for nationwide enforcement of laws and regulations and codes to stop unlicensed tattooing. Sign up, join the TATTOOING PUBLIC SAFETY BILL 2012 make suggestions, get involved become your States Representative.
The United States is experiencing an increasing threat against it National Public Health, individuals performing tattooing without licensing are causing the rise of the public health risk through disease transmission from Tattooing applications. The tattooing demand has been increasing annually while the supply of ready available cash for most households has significantly declining every since the US economic crises. A significantly number of US consumers are now receiving tattoo applications from unlicensed individuals performing unsanitary Tattoo applications a much lower cost.
REGULATIONS: There is a lack of regulations in place for individuals choosing to provide tattooing services, presently they operate outside of the present codes, and laws, this gap is significantly diluting the bear of protection that has been afforded to the nations public through the enactment of regulations codes and for regulating the tattoo profession and business operations within our Nation.
UNLICENSED TATTOO ARTIST: there has been huge increasing in the threat against the Nation Public Health from tattoo procedures being preformed by Unlicensed Individuals acting as tattoo artist It is alarming that in every city and state in the United States of America. the actions of these individuals are putting the general public risk, by performing 1000′s of life threatening tattoo applications daily across the US by unqualified individuals in unsanitary conditions.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASE TRANSMITTING Transmissible by direct or indirect contact communicable: a contagious disease
can be transmitted from unsanitary tattoo procedures. Presently statistic shows that tattoo procedures are being sought out by 16 to 25 age groups which presently suffer a high degree of jobless rate and are most vulnerable to making life threatening choices, with tattooing applications being performed on lower income levels and younger consumer groups, the same groups whom are already at a greater health risk for disease transmitting and poor medical care it not surprising that we haven’t had an epidemic. Further more there is an increasing level of procedures being performed by untrained and unlicensed individuals at all social levels. This problem presently is the single largest threat to public health other then sex transmissible disease with the highest penitential to cause a nation wide spread of diseases in our nation.
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