NILES, Mich. — A western Michigan health department says a local tattoo parlor may have exposed customers to bloodborne illnesses due to improper sterilization practices.
The Berrien County Health Department advises that anyone who has received a navel, tongue, nipple, or genital piercing recently Paparazzi Tattoo & Body Piercing in Niles should be tested for hepatitis B and C, as well as for HIV.
The department says that metal forceps used during specific piercings were not properly sterilized. The department says that anyone who only received ear piercings or tattoos at the parlor does not need to take a blood test.
No cases of hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV associated with Paparazzi Tattoo have been identified so far, but health officials say symptoms of the diseases may not surface for years.
This story was originally published by WXMI staff in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
