EAST MACHIAS (NEWS CENTER Maine) — The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is warning the public of an unlicensed tattoo artist working out of their home in East Machias.
According to the Maine CDC, at least one client is known to have been infected with hepatitis C.
The tattooist has allegedly been doing their work under unsanitary conditions, the Maine CDC said, operating without approval from the public health institute for at least the past six months.
The Maine CDC does not license tattoo artists to work out of their home.
It's still unclear how many people saw the tattoo artist, or how many were potentially exposed to possibly serious infections. The Maine CDC says clients who received tattoos from an unlicensed tattoo artist in the East Machias are should contact a medical care provider for testing, vaccination and treatment information.
Health officials say receiving a tattoo from an unlicensed tattoo artist increases the risk of passing hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV infections from one client to another. The only way to know if you have any of the aforementioned infections is to be tested, they say.
More than 6 percent of people in Maine with hepatitis B and C reported receiving an unlicensed tattoo prior to becoming infected, according to the Maine CDC.
The Maine CDC offers the following tips for those considering a tattoo:
• Get vaccinated for hepatitis B if you have not already been vaccinated.
• Use only licensed tattoo artists who work in Maine CDC-approved commercial studios or at an approved body-art show (Maine CDC never licenses artists to work out of the living areas of a residence and does not license “apprentice” tattoo artists).
• The body artist must post their license at their place of business.
• “Tattoo Parties” at home residences are illegal.
• Maine law states that minors under the age of 18 are not allowed to get a tattoo even with parental permission.
The Maine CDC offers the following links for more information: Hepatitis B | Hepatitis C | HIV