By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

Public domain photo/Arpingstone at the English Wikipedia project

An epidemiological alert has been issued by the Argentina Ministry of Health following an outbreak in skin infections associated with tattoos in multiple provinces, according to a Infobae report (computer translated).

A total of 68 cases have been reported in the city of Rosario and neighboring towns such as San Nicolás and Villa Ramallo, and in Luján, in the province of Buenos Aires.

The report notes, the majority of patients reported red and raised skin lesions with variable pruritus, which appeared between seven and 15 days after the tattoo was performed. Of the 68 cases, 55 were biopsied and cultured: eight of them grew the bacterium, Mycobacteria, seven were identified as Mycobacterium abscessus.

Mycobacterium abscessus complex comprises a group of rapidly growing, multidrug-resistant, nontuberculous mycobacteria that are responsible for a wide spectrum of skin and soft tissue diseases, central nervous system infections, bacteremia, and ocular and other infections.

M. abscessus complex outbreaks associated with cosmetic procedures and nosocomial transmissions are not uncommon.


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