Recently popular pedicure treatments with exotic Garra rufa fish can cause serious bacterial infections, warn British scientists.
Spa treatments, where freshwater fish nibble on dead skin, have already been banned in many US states, but are still in demand in the UK. British researchers published a warning about them in the American magazine “Emerging Infectious Diseases”.
Treatments called “fish therapy” are carried out with the participation of the so-called Eurasian physician fish, which can host a number of microorganisms that can cause serious infections of soft tissues. Many microorganisms are resistant to antibiotic therapy, warn researchers from the Center for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) in Weymouth, England.
CEFAS team leader David W. Verner-Jeffreys says there are around 280 “fish beauty salons” in the UK, out of 15-20. fish that are continuously delivered from Asia. As noted by Verner-Jeffreys, in April last year, 6. fish imported from Indonesia were infected with a disease manifested by hemorrhage, e.g. from the gills and mouths, causing the death of almost all individuals.
Researchers also found signs of bacterial infections in the animals’ livers, kidneys and spleens. It was caused by S. agalactiae streptococcus. Scientists examined samples from subsequent shipments and found the presence of further pathogens, most of them resistant to traditional antibiotics such as tetracyclines or aminoglycosides.
“So far, very few patients who were able to become infected have reported,” says Verner-Jeffreys. ‘However, our study shows that these fish, and the water they are transported in, can be a potential source of pathogens.’
People struggling with diabetes, liver disease and abnormalities in the immune system are at particular risk.
According to researchers, spas should ensure that fish grown in a controlled environment are used, HealthDay said.