Fish Pedicures Risk – A Red Herring

The Sun ran the story on the front page and a full page inside, the Daily Mail splashed it across several pages and the story was taken up with international media. “Fish pedicures: Information for the Public” issued by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) was the source that caused the media frenzy.

Along with skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, diabetes and legs recently waxed, HIV and hepatitis B and C, ‘may mean you should not have a fish pedicure,’ say the HPA. The information was originally meant to protect people with the above conditions from the small risk of bacterial infection.

It was however the possibility of transmission of hepatitis and HIV to other users of the foot spas, that caused the media to latch on to the story, even though the risk was quantified as ‘low but could not be excluded’ the media ran this as ‘HIV could be spread through fish pedicures’.

‘It’s rubbish’ says Deborah Jack of the National AIDS Trust. ‘There is no risk of HIV being passed on through a fish pedicure and these claims do nothing but undermine public understanding. We are really frustrated by the concern this could give people. It distracts from the real risks with HIV and feeds into the stigma of catching HIV from everyday situations.’

There has never been a recorded case of blood-borne viruses such as HIV transmitted in such a way, even in the event of a bleed into a spa and then a person with an open cut on the foot using the spa immediately afterwards. Experts say that the virus does not survive for long outside of the human body. The concentration of the virus would be highly reduced when diluted in water. Fish cannot be infected with HIV.

‘At a time when knowledge of HIV is declining, it is crucial for the public to be aware of the facts so they can protect themselves from real transmission risks – and not get preoccupied with sensationalist and inaccurate reports.  We are concerned the HPA’s guidance has been misleading in terms of HIV risk and we are working with them to clarify the facts.’

NAT have launched a new resource a new website www.HIVaware.org.uk - which provides all the information that the general public should know about HIV, particularly important it says in light of their recent Ipsos MORI research which showed a large and increasing gap in public knowledge.