CANONSBURG, Pa. -- Almost 1 in every 4 Americans has a tattoo, according to a 2006 study conducted by the Journal of the AmericanAcademy of Dermatology(1). However, this common procedure poses the risk of serious disease transmission to both the artist and their customers. Possible infections as a result of inadequately sterilized reusable equipment range from Staphylococcus aureus, (including a ...
John Klear describes his recent laser treatments this way: “It’s like a really hot Exacto knife slicing through your skin.” Still, it’s worth it to him to have his tattoos removed. He got them when he was in the Navy, a rite of passage but also a lasting reminder of “the folly of youth,” he says. Later, after deciding he ...
Everyone knows that non-sterile tattoo needles can lead to AIDS and Hepatitis. However, according to research by Ronald Petruso, lecturer of chemistry at DelawareValleyCollege in Doylestown, Pa., there are other, overlooked risks. For the past year and a half, Petruso has been collaborating with Jani Ingram of NorthernArizonaUniversity in studying the toxicology of tattoo pigments. As television shows such as ...
College undergraduates in the United States do not recognize the magnitude of their risk behaviors for contracting Hepatitis C, according to a survey conducted at a large Midwestern university. Researchers found that 75 percent of undergraduates in this study had a potential hepatitis C risk factor, from tattoos to sharing body jewelry. Results of this study were presented at the ...
Public health researchers in Rochester, N.Y., found that a 2003 outbreak of severe infections in people who had upper-ear piercings was caused by the combination of contaminated antiseptic solution and the greater risk of piercing ear cartilage, which has a poor blood supply. The study in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports the findings from ...
A Nevada television station reporter tested two Las Vegas homes for various kinds of disease-causing bacteria, swabbing tile floors, carpeted areas, the soles of shoes, and even the family pet’s paws. The samples were taken to the Silver State Analytical Labs and scientists there found mold, fungus and coliform found ...
BALTIMORE -- New vaccine requirements will affect anyone who is applying for an immigrant visa for entry into the U.S. and anyone seeking adjustment of status for permanent residence. Applicants must show proof of vaccinations against vaccine-preventable diseases, as recommended by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Passport Health, ...
As Midwest floodwaters recede and clean-up efforts get underway, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) offers advice to help reduce the risk of infection:Nothing beats hand hygiene – It’s critical to remember to practice basic hand hygiene during the emergency period. Always wash your hands with ...
Georgia Tech associate professor Pinar Keskinocak, graduate student Faramroze Engineer and executive secretary of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC Larry Pickering (left to right) display the new online tool they developed that allows parents and pediatricians to ensure that the missed vaccines and future vaccines are ...
Research shows that only 20 percent of consumers use thermometers, and a mere 30 percent are aware that they should have them in their refrigerators. Several experts addressed home-based food safety issues in “Consumers’ Refrigerators: A Danger Zone” Monday at the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual meeting and food expo ...
Bacteria and viruses are the microscopic organisms – otherwise known as germs -- that are responsible for causing and transmitting illness and disease. These microbes are so small, that according to the American Society for Microbiology, if the smallest of all microbes was the size of a baseball, an average bacterium would then be the size of the pitcher's mound, and just one of the millions of cells that make up your body would be the size of the ballpark!