Woman May Have Contracted Hiv From Manicure: Should You Be Worried
Could a single trip to the nail salon change your life forever?
For most women, the worst thing thats happened at a nail salon is that theyve chosen a polish color they end up regretting or maybe theyve had their nails clipped a little too close. But for one 22-year-old woman in Brazil a manicure turned potentially deadly: Getting her nails done may have given her HIV.
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The young woman, whose case is detailed in the journal AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, was recently diagnosed with advanced HIV yet failed to meet any of the standard conditions for transmission shed never had sex, a blood transfusion or surgery, or gotten a piercing or tattoo.
Doctors were befuddled as to how she had contracted the virus.
After confirming her claims, her doctors dug deeper, searching for any incident that could have infected her. The only possibility: The patient recalled sharing manicure instruments 10 years prior with her cousin, a manicurist who was later diagnosed with HIV. Detailed analyses revealed that the two women were, in fact, infected with highly similar strains of the virus, leading the researchers to conclude that manicure instruments are potential routes of HIV transmission.
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Inspections Show Dangers Of Dirty Nail Salons
If you get your nails done, and you are not asking questions in the process, you could be putting yourself at serious risk.
You could be one manicure away from getting fungus, mold, hepatitis, or a number of different infections. These potential problems led Valley News Live to pull the inspection records of salons in the area.
“I got an infection on my cuticle and it started to swell up,” explained Amanda St. Aubin.
Like many high school girls, getting a manicure for prom is a must. St. Aubin was no exception.
“She used the thing to cut down your cuticles, and she wasn’t paying attention and she cut sideways and she cut my cuticle in half, and I started bleeding, and all she did was wipe it off and she kept going,” said St. Aubin of her experience last year before her junior prom. It was an experience that sent her to prom with an infection.
“It was like super swollen and red, and it bled for a while, and it took a long time for it to heal, because it wouldn’t close because it’s a super sensitive part of your skin,” she said.
“It doesn’t take much to get a cut, you can get hepatitis C from getting a cut, you can get MIRSA from getting a cut,” added Andrea Trimble of the North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology.
While many avid salon customers prefer not to talk about it, bringing home mold, bacteria or fungus happens more than you hear about.
To understand the problem better, Valley News Live did some digging and found a few salons with serious violations.
Documents
Who Should Be Tested For Hepatitis
Testing is important for anyone with the risk factors we’ve mentioned, particularly injected drug users and people who have had multiple sex partners. Health advocates are also urging people of Asian heritage to get tested. Stanford University’s Asian Liver Center estimates that 1 in 10 Asians living in the U.S. has chronic hepatitis B. Many of them have probably had the virus since birth.
Also, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that health care providers offer a one-time hepatitis C screening for anyone born between 1945 and 1965.
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Hepatitis C: How Does It Spread
It spreads through infected blood. In the U.S., sharing needles or other items used to inject drugs is the most common cause of infection. Getting a tattoo or body piercing with an infected needle is another means of exposure. A mother may pass the virus to their child at birth. In rare cases, unprotected sex spreads hepatitis C, but the risk appears small. Having multiple sex partners, HIV, or rough sex seems to raise risk for spreading hepatitis C.
Hepatitis Types And Liver Risks
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by several viruses. The main types in the United States are A, B, and C. Type A symptoms are often similar to a stomach virus. But most cases resolve within a month. Hepatitis B and C can cause sudden illness. However, they can lead to liver cancer or a chronic infection that can lead to serious liver damage called cirrhosis.
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Officials Warn Customers Of London Ont Nail Salon To Get Tested For Hiv Hepatitis B C
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Public health officials are warning customers of a nail salon in London, Ont., that they may have been exposed to blood-borne infections after a client tested positive for hepatitis B.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit issued an alert Wednesday warning clients of Cali Nails in the White Oaks Mall that they contact their doctors about getting tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
She says her agency is issuing the advisory for anyone who visited the salon between May 4, 2017, and Jan. 5, 2018.
Albanese adds it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where the person contracted the infection, but says officials felt a public alert was necessary after inspectors logged repeated infection-control infractions at the business.
Hepatitis B, a virus transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids, attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. In Ontario, children receive the vaccine to protect against the virus in Grade 7.
Although the risk is generally low, inadequate infection prevention and control practices in personal service settings, such as nail salons, barber shops, spas, or tattoo and body art shops, can result in the potential transmission of blood-borne infections, as well as common skin infections, the health agencys public warning said. It is important to note; it may be impossible to determine whether any positive blood tests resulted from procedures performed at a particular location or if they are due to other exposures.
Undercooked And Raw Shellfish
Shellfish are animals that filter the water from their surroundings. Because of this, they can become contaminated with hepatitis A virus if they are grown in polluted waters. To be safe, cook shellfish thoroughly before eating it. Undercooked shellfish like oysters, mussels, and clams may harbor and transmit hepatitis A. You may prefer the taste of raw oysters, but cooked shellfish really is safer. Protect your health and skip the raw oyster bar.
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Can Hepatitis C Spread Through Saliva
Two letters: N.O. Hepatitis C is spread when the blood of an infected person gets into the body of another person. It does not spread through coughs and sneezes or from sharing food or drinks. Theres also no evidence that kissing transmits the virus, says Raymond Chung, M.D., director of the Hepatology and Liver Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Theoretically, its possible if both people have an open wound on or in their mouths, he says, so maybe hold off on any kissing when your mouth is bleeding.
First What Exactly Is Hepatitis C
Lets start with the basics. Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus and transmitted through the blood. The virus attacks the liver and leads to inflammation, which can eventually bring about serious liver damage, scarring , and possibly even liver failure. Scarybut: Modern hep C treatments, called direct-acting antivirals, are extremely effectivethe cure rates are over 90 percent. Plus, treatments have minimal side effects, so most people dont notice an interruption in their daily lives.
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Beware A Holiday Pedi My Leave You With Hep C
Experts forecast a rise in the virus as more Aussies risk infection in non-sterile environments. By Fiona Baker
Experts forecast a rise in the virus as more Aussies risk infection in non-sterile environments. By Fiona Baker
Getting a tattoo, a bellybutton ring or even a pedicure can seem a great idea while on holiday, but you may end up bringing home something more sinister than just some body ink or brightly coloured nails.
Experts working in the area of hepatitis B and C are predicting a jump in the number of people contracting the viruses overseas because of the types of activities Australians are enjoying abroad.
While theres a vaccine for HBV, theres none for its hardy and virulent cousin HCV, which is often referred to as the silent killer because people can have no symptoms for years, even decades, until their liver has suffered severe, life-threatening damage, and even become cancerous.
What we want all Australians to know before they head off on their overseas holiday is that any activity in which the skin is pierced can lead to infection with hepatitis and, yes, that can include pedicures, tattoos and piercings, and even getting dental work done abroad, Hepatitis Australias CEO Helen Tyrell says.
High risk in the Asia-Pacific region
While its important to be vigilant on home soil, it becomes vital when abroad, particularly in the holiday destinations that are popular among Australians, such as the Asia-Pacific region.
A cure is coming
Hepatitis C: What Happens
About 25% of people who get hepatitis C defeat the virus after a short-term infection. The rest will carry the virus in their body for the long term. Chronic hepatitis C can cause very serious complications, including liver failure and liver cancer. There are effective treatments for the virus, though.
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Protecting Your Self From Accidental Exposure To Hep B In Nail Salons
- Make sure that the salons license is clearly posted.
- See to it that the salon is strict on disinfecting their scissors and clippers after every use
- The nail salon should only use disposable files
- Pedicure baths and all suction screens in tubs must be disinfected after every use.
- Check the products that the nail salon uses and look for labels. Those without may be diluted.
- Always bring your own polish
Nail salons
Health Risks You Face At The Nail Salon
The nail salon is a great place to go, relax, and get great looking nails, but there are also hidden dangers lurking in some salons that you need to know about. Nail salons that don’t;follow correct c
The nail salon is a great place to go, relax, and get great looking nails, but there are also hidden dangers lurking in some salons that you need to know about. Nail salons that don’t;follow correct cleaning procedures, that reuse their equipment on all people without disinfecting them, and who fail to clean the drains in their foot baths and the chairs customers sit on are putting their customers at risk.
Dirty equipment, drains, and even the tiniest knick in the skin can land a customer in the hospital. The infections can be serious and sometimes deadly. They can lead to lifelong health problems or painful medical treatment.
What can be done to prevent picking up an infection from a nail salon? The first thing you should do is always visit a reputable nail salon. While this isnt a sure-fire way of preventing an infection, it is safer than using a salon that is less well known.
You should also pay attention to where your technician gets her equipment from and what she does with the equipment;after she is;done. It should come from and go to a disinfecting solution where the germs are killed off.
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Hepatitis B: What Happens
Many adults who get hepatitis B have mild symptoms for a short time and then get better on their own. But some people are not able to clear the virus from the body, which causes a long-term infection. Nearly 90% of infants who get the virus will carry it for life. Over time, hepatitis B can lead to serious problems, such as liver damage, liver failure, and liver cancer.
Ways You Wont Spread Hepatitis C
There are some ways in which you wont spread HCV, though. Go ahead and let your significant other have a bite of your sandwich or dessert. According to the CDC, hepatitis C isnt spread by sharing silverware or drinking glasses, or through water or foods. Showing affection by holding hands, hugging, or kissing is also safe, Lee says. And although germs from sneezing or coughing might cause you to get a cold, they wont give you hepatitis C.
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What If You Test Positive
If a test says you have viral hepatitis, you can take steps to protect the ones you love. For hepatitis A, wash hands frequently. For hepatitis B and C, avoid sharing nail clippers, razors, or toothbrushes. Hepatitis B, and sometimes hepatitis C, can be passed through sexual contact. Make sure everyone in your household gets the hepatitis B vaccine. An important step is to see a specialist to discuss treatment options.
Hepatitis C: Who Is At Risk
People who have injected illegal drugs at any time, even one time, many years ago, could be walking around with chronic hepatitis C. Because there are often no symptoms, many former drug users may not realize they have the infection. People who received a blood transfusion before 1992 also have a higher risk. Before that year, donated blood was not screened for the hepatitis C virus.
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Hepatitis C: What Are The Odds
In spring 2002, the San Mateo County Health Services Agency in California investigated a case of acute hepatitis C in a patient whose only identified risk factor was receiving regular pedicures.
Bu t this patients pedicures hardly followed textbook procedures. The reported that her foot calluses were routinely shaved with a razor-type device and that tissue around her nail beds was cut with nail nippers, sometimes causing bleeding during monthly pedicure treatments, wrote Beth Schulz, communicable disease control officer, in the agencys Winter 2002 Health Bulletin.
During a joint investigation, the California Bureau of Barbering and Cosmetology, Health Services, and the local district attorney confiscated several Credo blades. In addition, no disinfectant was found on the premises implements were not being disinfected, Schulz wrote. Despite these findings or perhaps because of them the isolated case doesnt budge the states view that salons are a low-risk setting for transmission of hepatitis, reassures Dean Peterson, director of the San Mateo County Environmental Health Department.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees: Salons are not considered a risk area for infection, emphasizes Dolly Sinha, health communications specialist. Statistics provide additional assurances: While the CDC says 79% of drug users test positive for hepatitis C, only 1.6% of the general population does.
ABCs of Hepatitis
How Is Hepatitis Diagnosed
Chronic hepatitis can quietly attack the liver for years without causing any symptoms. Unless the infection is diagnosed, monitored, and treated, many of these people will eventually have serious liver damage. Fortunately, blood tests can determine whether you have viral hepatitis, and if so, which kind.
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Hepatitis A: How Does It Spread
It usually spreads through food or water. Food can be tainted when it’s touched by a person with hepatitis who did not wash their hands after using the bathroom. This transfers tiny amounts of infected stool to the food. Raw shellfish, fruits, vegetables, and undercooked foods are common culprits in hepatitis A outbreaks. The virus can also spread in daycare centers if employees aren’t careful about washing hands after changing diapers.
Can I Drink Alcohol Again After I’m Cured
Theres not one universal answer here. Some people may need to stay sober after they complete treatment for HCVspecifically anyone with advanced liver disease or those who need a liver transplant. But if thats not you, your doctor will likely say its okay to drink in moderation once youre cured, says Nikolaos Pyrsopoulos, M.D., a professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at New Jersey Medical School. But until your doctor gives the thumbs up, its crucial to avoid all alcohol, as it can accelerate liver damage, Dr. Pyrsopoulos says.
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Hepatitis B: How Does It Spread
You can get it through contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person. In the U.S., it’s most often spread through unprotected sex. It’s also possible to get hepatitis B by sharing an infected person’s needles, razors, or toothbrush. And an infected mother can pass the virus to their baby during childbirth. Hepatitis B is not spread by hugging, sharing food, or coughing.
Hepatitis A Risks: Produce And Drinking Water
Hepatitis A outbreaks have been traced to eating contaminated fresh fruits, vegetables, and salads. Wash produce well before eating, even if you plan to peel it. You can also get hepatitis A by drinking contaminated water. Boil river or lake water. Visiting a developing country? Stick to bottled water and skip ice unless itâs made from bottled water. Vaccines are available for hepatitis A and B, but not C.
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Treatment: Chronic Hepatitis C
The latest drug to be approved by the FDA is glecaprevir and pibrentasvir . This medication offers a shorter treatment cycle of 8 weeks for adult patients with all types of HCV who donât have cirrhosis and who have not been previously treated. The length of treatment is longer for those who are in a different disease stage. The prescribed dosage for this medicine is 3 tablets daily.
There are several other combination drugs available, as well as some single drugs that may be used in combination. Your doctor will choose the right one for you depending on the type of hepatitis C you have, how well your liver is functioning and any other medical problems you may have. Also be sure to discuss your insurance coverage since these medications are expensive.
