December 9, 2004

Pedicure salon investigation yields more infection outbreaks

57 cases reported, 13 salons named

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

Just two short weeks after the Almaden Times (Nov. 25 edition at www.almadentimes.com) first uncovered an outbreak of mycobacterial infection among 11 women who received pedicures at three South San Jose nail salons, the number of reported cases has now risen to 57, with 13 salons implicated.

Kathy Nails, a once-bustling salon where even customers with appointments had grown accustomed to waiting, struggles to stay in business while being investigated. Kathy Nails is one of up to 13 salons under investigation for improper disinfection of whirlpool Pedispas, which were popular indulgences until fears of the painful, disfiguring infection frightened many women away from salons countywide.

Test results won’t be in for weeks and health officials have not yet released the additional salon names or locations. Infectious disease specialists believe the boils and skin ulcers [furunculosis] that have erupted on women’s legs occur when mycobacterium fortuitum is allowed to thrive in the swirling waters of popular whirlpool pedispas that until now offered a temporary escape from fast-paced lifestyles, an opportunity for girlfriends to catch up on the latest dish, and a way for mothers and daughters to bond over the ultimate feminine ritual.

For at least 57 women in Santa Clara, the monthly pampering that once empowered them to show off colorful pedicures has instead robbed them of their femininity, tempered their self esteem, and forced them to put their lives on hold, as they face unsightly lesions and permanent scaring, in addition to the side effects of insomnia, hallucinations, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and yeast infections that often accompany the powerful antibiotics they will be required to take for up to a year.

According to state cosmetology board spokeswoman Patti Roberts, seven additional inspectors have been assigned to investigations and concentrated inspections throughout Santa Clara County, which may implicate as many as 10 more salons that recently hit the radar screen. If the County Health Department concludes that an establishment poses a repeated threat to patron safety, they could pull their license, and shut down the salon completely if necessary.

In an effort to provide additional outreach and promote consumer awareness, the board is launching a two-pronged approach, through aggressive campaigns and literature that seek to increase consciousness and education on all fronts.

“Santa Clara County is launching an education campaign for consumers, as well as licensees,” Roberts says. “We want them to know what to look for and what questions to ask. We’re sending letters to all the licensees in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese so we can reiterate what the proper procedures and regulations are and how they need to be followed. Were also asking consumers to be aware, as we do outreach to all our licensees.”

While the addition of seven inspectors will aid in combating the immediate problem in Santa Clara County, additional resources will need to be tapped into in order to provide more realistic checks and balances for the 296,375 people licensed to do nails in the state.

County Health Department spokesperson Teresa Chagoya says there simply isn’t enough manpower or resources and there may be no single answer either. However, successful prevention lies in education.

“Education is a powerful thing,” she says. “From different points of view, there are a lot of things that need to be looked at. It’s interesting to see how it is all intertwined and we can all work together to see where it needs to be fixed. It takes a lot of additional resources and inspectors, but consumers can help by making sure the salons are aware of the regulations. There are so many different pieces to this that we haven’t discovered yet.”

Next week, the Almaden Times will feature an in-depth report on what we feel is the real story, an eye opening “day-in-the-life” snapshot of the hardy, yet destructive little mycobacterium and what it’s like to live with this uninvited guest. Along with it, a battle cry for proactive measures that look to fuel the charge toward changing the laws that govern the more than 209,571 cosmetologists and 86,804 manicurists licensed to perform nail services in 35,050 salons throughout California.