Mycobacterial Infections: The Link to Ink

Cluster 2 included two confirmed and two possible cases, both associated with the same ink, but from a different company. A sample from an unopened ink bottle grew M. chelonae. Investigators could not identify the source of contamination at either company.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported one confirmed case. M. chelonae recovered from the ink was indistinguishable from the Washington strain, but unrelated to the New York strain.

One case was confirmed in Colorado. Artists at the tattoo parlor in question reported diluting ink and rinsing needles with distilled or reverse-osmosis water. The organism was not recovered from any sources at the manufacturing company or the tattoo parlor; however, the ink used was labeled as drawing ink, not tattoo ink.

The investigators had no relevant financial disclosures.

*Correction, 11/8/2012: An earlier version of this story misstated the location of the patient mentioned in the photo caption. The photo was taken by Dr. Matthew Mahlberg.