Brown Claire E, Ready Derren, Willis Caroline, Sims Ben, Young Nick, Sheridan Elizabeth, Osbourne Helen, Jones Louise, Landy Yvette, Long Naomi, Walkden Amy, Turton Jane F, Staniforth Karren, Moore Ginny, Parks Simon, Barkoci Patricia, Bird Sarah
Health Protection Operations, South West, UK Health Security Agency, Bristol, UK.
NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Epidemiol Infect. 2025 Jan 10;153:e8. doi: 10.1017/S0950268824001572.
In September 2023, the UK Health Security Agency's (UKHSA) South West Health Protection Team received notification of patients with perichondritis. All five cases had attended the same cosmetic piercing studio and a multi-disciplinary outbreak control investigation was subsequently initiated. An additional five cases attending the same studio were found. Seven of the ten cases had isolates available for Variable Number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) typing at the UKHSA national reference laboratory. Clinical and environmental isolates from the patients, handwash sink, tap water and throughout the wall-mounted point-of-use water heater (including outlet water) were indistinguishable by VNTR typing (11,6,2,2,1,3,6,3,11). No additional cases were identified after control measures were implemented, which included replacing the sink and point-of-use heater.The lack of specific recommendations to control for within Council-adopted ear-piercing byelaws or national guidance means that a cosmetic piercing artist could inadvertently overlook the risks from this bacterial pathogen despite every intention to comply with the law and follow industry best practice advice. Clinicians, Environmental Health Officers and public health professionals should remain alert for single cases of perichondritis infections associated with piercings and have a low threshold for notification to local health protection teams.
2023年9月，英国卫生安全局（UKHSA）西南卫生防护小组收到了关于软骨膜炎患者的通报。所有五例病例均去过同一家美容穿孔工作室，随后启动了多学科疫情防控调查。又发现了另外五例去过同一家工作室的病例。在UKHSA国家参考实验室，十例病例中有七例的分离株可用于可变数目串联重复序列（VNTR）分型。通过VNTR分型，患者、洗手池、自来水以及整个壁挂式即热式热水器（包括出水）的临床和环境分离株无法区分（11、6、2、2、1、3、6、3、11）。在实施包括更换洗手池和即热式热水器在内的控制措施后，未发现其他病例。议会通过的耳洞穿孔附则或国家指南中缺乏控制此类情况的具体建议，这意味着美容穿孔师尽管本意是遵守法律并遵循行业最佳实践建议，但仍可能无意中忽视这种细菌病原体带来的风险。临床医生、环境卫生官员和公共卫生专业人员应警惕与穿孔相关的软骨膜炎感染单例病例，并向当地卫生防护小组通报的门槛要低。
