Mycobacteria in nail salon whirlpool footbaths, California

Emerg Infect Dis. 2005 Apr;11(4):616-8. doi: 10.3201/eid1104.040936.

Abstract

In 2000, an outbreak of Mycobacterium fortuitum furunculosis affected customers using whirlpool footbaths at a nail salon. We swabbed 30 footbaths in 18 nail salons from 5 California counties and found mycobacteria in 29 (97%); M. fortuitum was the most common. Mycobacteria may pose an infectious risk for pedicure customers.

MeSH terms

  • Beauty Culture
  • California / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Hydrotherapy*
  • Mycobacterium / isolation & purification*
  • Public Health
  • Water Microbiology*