Body piercing clients at Calgary studio told to get tested for Hepatitis B

This is a precautionary move, as so far there have not been any positive cases of Hepatitis B resulting from body piercing services at Little Witch Tattoo.

Alberta Health Services is advising anyone who received body piercing services through Little Witch Tattoo to arrange for follow-up testing for Hepatitis B, which can be spread through unsanitary piercing procedures.

Dr. Franco Rizzuti, medical officer of health for the Calgary area, said in a news release Monday the studio did not completely follow sterilization processes, and people who received piercing services from the shop may have been exposed to the hepatitis B virus.

On April 29, Alberta Health Services issued a notice of closure for the tattoo shop for a list of infractions including failing to notify AHS prior to offering piercing services to the public, not keeping a record of which staff member performed what service, and not properly storing jewelry used for piercing services.

The breach was discovered during an inspection by AHS Environmental Public Health in response to a complaint. This inspection determined that proper sterilization of body piercing equipment was not achieved.

“To prevent the spread of infection from one person to another, equipment used for body piercing must be cleaned, disinfected and sterilized according to specific health standards,” Dr. Franco Rizzuti said.

The closure order was lifted on June 14, after AHS provided education to the owner and operator on proper sterilization practices and the implementation of single-use disposable body piercing devices.

Although AHS said the risk to clients is considered very low, it is advising clients of Little Witch Tattoo, which is located at 103, 2640 52 Street N.E. in Calgary, who received body piercing services between April 15, and May 1 of this year to arrange for follow-up testing for Hepatitis B.

AHS says the alert does not affect tattoo services provided through the studio, and the public advisory was due to Little Witch Tattoo’s inability to provide a comprehensive client list.