Cow Boon Wan covered up Fish Spa Therapy Infectious Contagion in SG

[MM_DURAI]

Taiwan Yahoo reported that Infectious Contagion happened in Singapore from Fish Spa Therapy which had been found to be a realistic health risk and had just been banned in the USA. But why PAP's MOH covered it up?


This is the transparent and responsible FIRST WORLD govt or Corrupted and Incompetent Bastards of Million Dollar Salaries? :oIo::oIo:

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090328/4/1gu1n.html


溫泉魚啃死皮 星有感染案例
中時 更新日期:"2009/03/28 02:57" 李忠一／宜蘭報導

源自土耳其的「溫泉魚」，近年來在溫泉飯店相當風行，遊客將腳丫子浸泡在溫熱的池中，溫泉魚就會啃食足部角質，深受遊客歡迎。但外電報導指出，溫泉魚嘴有帶菌，新加坡有人因此感染，美國還有部分州禁止溫泉魚療法。不過礁溪溫泉業者強調，「從未發生過感染案例。」

溫泉業者表示，溫泉魚會啄食老化皮屑，加上有吸盤狀的吻部，具有強大的吸吮能力，只要把腳放進溫泉池內，十幾、廿條溫泉魚就會靠過來在腳邊「狂吻」，讓人有觸電的感覺。據說溫泉魚還有清理傷口和皮癬的功效，所以也有「醫生魚」的稱號。

魚嘴可能帶菌 衛生問題惹爭議

外電指出，在日、韓相當流行的溫泉魚，因衛生問題頗受爭議，如足部有傷口的人魚療後，魚嘴可能帶菌，即便更換乾淨的水浸泡，也難以避免重複使用該批魚類。新加坡有民眾接受魚療感染真菌，美國則有十四州禁止經營。

礁溪山泉大飯店副總經理余曼玲說，台灣主要溫泉區都有溫泉魚，牠可活在攝氏三十八、九度的碳酸氫鈉泉，礁溪有五家業者引進，是全台最多的地方。溫泉魚源自土耳其，歷史悠久，日、韓也相當流行。

溫泉業者：嚴管水質從未發生過

余曼玲指出，國內規定不能宣傳療效，因此業者以「好玩」為訴求，增加泡溫泉樂趣；從土耳其引進「淡紅墨頭魚」作為溫泉魚已有三年，還有客人每星期都來泡，從未傳出不良反應。溫泉池採用活水，也會定時清潔，宣導泡湯禮儀時，不只是有皮膚病不能泡，有擦指甲油都不能下池。

採用本土「溫泉血鸚鵡」為溫泉魚的川湯春天溫泉飯店，強調從未發生感染案例；但有這樣的質疑，飯店會加上標語，提醒有皮膚疾病的客人不可下池。

衛生局長劉宜廉表示，礁溪溫泉業者在水質方面，經檢驗後都符合規定，溫泉魚的療效無法評估，可能是輔助或娛樂效果較多，建議遊客若患有香港腳與過敏性皮膚疾病，都應避免去泡溫泉。

 

[MM_DURAI]

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090328/78/1gu6x.html

泉魚療 美國下令停業
自由 更新日期:"2009/03/28 04:09"

〔記者胡健森／宜蘭報導〕時下相當流行的「溫泉魚療法」被國外媒體指稱會傳染疾病，甚至下令禁止，但國內仍無相關法令規範。宜蘭縣衛生局長劉宜廉表示，目前沒有醫學實證溫泉魚具療效，民眾如有皮膚等疾病，尋求醫師診療才是正確作法。

國內近年夯 遊客喜歡

國內近幾年相當流行「溫泉魚療法」，主要是透過魚群啄食去除人體身上的死皮（角質），據說對皮膚頗有幫助；「溫泉醫生魚」也讓美國人趨之若鶩，美國有美容業者引進進行足部治療，目前美國聯邦政府對於醫生魚療法持開放態度，交由各州政府去決定，不過卻有廿一個州禁止或不推薦這種療法，理由是不衛生又沒有療效。

記者昨天走訪宜蘭縣礁溪川湯春天溫泉飯店，看見許多民眾正在體驗被魚群啄食皮膚的樂趣。

蔡小姐說，小魚啄食時，感覺刺刺癢癢的很好玩，也很舒服，她不否認有點害怕被傳染類似香港腳等皮膚病，但只要做好個人衛生，應該不會有太大問題；陳先生說，溫泉魚飼養在水池中，只要池水不斷流動、更新，他不擔心會因此被傳染疾病。

溫泉業者：加強衛生管理

川湯春天駐店經理歐子豪說，推出溫泉魚的服務已經有三年，從來不曾發生過客人被傳染疾病的消費糾紛，飯店每星期固定會清洗魚池兩次，衛生絕對沒問題。

歐子豪說，如今既然有疑慮，他們考慮定期更換魚群，同時會加強對客人的衛生宣導，只要身上有疾病、傷口，就不宜到池內浸泡。

宜蘭縣衛生局長劉宜廉指出，民眾腳部如有香港腳等傳染性疾病，或者屬於乾性、過敏性皮膚，都應避免浸入池。

 

[MM_DURAI]

This is the Malaysian Straits Time not SG.

http://medicine.com.my/wp/?tag=fish

Fishy therapy II

Fish spa

(photo from Straits Times)

As you probably know, there’s an “epidemic” of Fishy therapy in this country and you’ll see these “foot spas” featuring nibbling little fishes at many shopping complexes. Dranony had expressed concern about health risks

My concern is whether the ‘therapy’ might actually cause some other adverse effect…
Is it even possible that some of these “skin diseases” for which the patients seek treatment, might have tiny amounts of microscopic bleeding?
Or what if they were harbouring any fungal or bacterial or viral pathogen?
Since the promoters of the therapy are unlikely to change the water in which the fish are swimming after each ‘therapy’ - is it conceivable that the water might actually harbour pathogens, which can be passed onto subsequent users?

Now the Straits Times is reporting that it has been banned in 2 states in the US

Letting live fish give people pedicures could transmit infections, say the authorities in Washington and Texas, and the spa treatment is now banned in the two American states.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation announced on Wednesday that fish pedicures - in which customers pay to have tiny fish nibble dead skin off their feet - are no longer permitted in the state, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The regulatory authorities in Washington state imposed a similar ban last week, said Seattle Times.
Ms Christine Anthony, spokesman for the Washington Department of Licensing, said it was impossible to sanitise live fish.
‘You can clean the tank, you can clean the water, but there’s no guarantee that the fish aren’t carrying something from the previous customer,’ she was quoted as saying by Seattle Times.
Officials also said the foot baths and holding tanks, because they are home to live fish, cannot always be properly cleaned and disinfected.

I think at this point in time the risks are theoretical until someone reports an outbreak of cross-infections originating from foot spas. Time for the MOH to take a closer look?