This Acupuncture Practice Needle Clinic Is Not Sterile, 115 People Are Infected With Terrible Skin Bacteria

News24xx.com - 

Acupuncture or similar treatments have been around for decades. The treatment has been received positively by many people, as long as the place is legal and the treatment is carried out by professionals. However, for 115 people in Kaifeng, Henan, they must be very sorry for their decision to go acupuncture because they were all infected by terrible bacteria originating from contaminated needles.

Based on a report by iFeng, on November 28, a health notification was issued confirming that 115 people suffered from skin ulcers after they underwent acupuncture treatment at a village clinic. The medical practitioner who performed the treatment was Dr Fan and he was quite well-known in the village.

In fact, he was not even a quack doctor but a licensed doctor who had done acupuncture treatments since 2013. It turns out that these patients were infected by a bacterium known as Mycobacterium abscessus. The infection is caused by needles and equipment that are not properly cleaned or disinfected.

This bacterium is a species that is resistant to various types of drugs that commonly occur through contamination with soil and water. This causes the patient to have a skin infection due to a dirty needle. Fortunately, the infection can be treated but the process is long and slow to find the right medicine for the infection. It is also not easily transmitted from person to person.

One patient revealed that his wife would go to Dr. Fan every 10 days to treat his leg pain. He had gone three times before starting to experience itching, redness, swelling and pain in the treatment area. His condition gradually deteriorated until his skin rotted on the infected leg, which meant there were open sores everywhere.

Eventually more people came and complained, so the investigation was launched. Investigators found that 115 people in the area were infected with bacteria. At present, 20 people have been repatriated while 84 others are still being treated at the district hospital. 11 other people are also undergoing treatment at another hospital.

While the investigation was still ongoing, Dr Fan was taken to the police for questioning. His license was revoked but it is unclear whether he will be charged with committing a crime or not. What is clear, the authorities have also closed the clinic.