The next time fish-pedicure enthusiasts dunk their feet in a vat of squirming, skin-nibbling, toothless carp, they may get more than they bargained for—especially if those fish just feasted on diseased skin. Health officials, fearing the spread of infections, have now launched a major investigation into this allegedly fishy beauty technique. In the UK, fish pedicures are booming, which is great for beauty clinics because the procedure costs upwards of £50 ($81 U.S.).  Visitors place their feet in a tank full of Garra rufa fish—a variety of Turkish toothless carp—and sit back while the fish eat away their dead skin. These foot-fetishistic fish have been nicknamed “doctor fish,” and though more and more UK citizens are dunking their feet, the UK’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) has a hunch that this procedure may be doing more harm than good. Over the past six months, several environmental health officers have contacted the HPA about the dangers of fish pedicures, leading to the present investigation, which hopes to discover whether fish spa pedicures spread infections.

Quoting an HPA agency member,  BBC News reports: “Alongside colleagues in environmental health, Health Protection Scotland and the Health and Safety Laboratory, the HPA will examine the most up to date evidence of any possible risks associated with Garra rufa fish pedicures and will publish guidelines that will be available UK-wide.” If commercial fish pedicures are banned, the UK would be following the lead of 14 U.S. states that have already outlawed the procedure. In the U.S., the major concern was how spas reuse the fish on many customers—a practice they’re forced to do because Garra rufa fish are pricey. But salons are defending their practices by pointing out that diseases don’t stand a chance in their UV-lit, filtered tanks. And their position is buffered by the little fact that there are as yet no known cases—at least to the HPA’s knowledge—of fish-spa-induced infections in the UK. Despite this fact, just the thought of dunking one’s feet in the same vat of fish as countless other people is enough to make them squeamish, according to the Daily Mail:

Customer Max Langton, from North London, said: ‘I had a pedicure from one of the new high street chains. I was put off when a man sitting opposite me said he had something wrong with his foot and hoped the fish were enjoying it.’ He added: ‘We were asked if we had any fungal infections, but no one checked.’ 80beats: Cockeyed Flatfish Ancestor Tells an Evolutionary Tale DISCOVER: Fish Oil Is No Snake Oil 80beats: Researchers Find Primitive Finger Bones in Ancient Fish 80beats: A Sunbath a Day Keeps the Grim Reaper Away Image: flickr / permanently scatterbrained Diseases, Injuries, & Other Ailments, The Wide (& Strange) World of Animals fish pedicures, Garra rufa fish, Health Protection Agency, safety, toothless carpBuy, Swap & Sell: Sat 05 November, 2016 The latest from Buy, Swap and Sell with Darren James. .au any time to be included in the next show Darren doesn't read out faxed or emailed items, he only reads events such as garage sales or fetes.

Number of items Each caller can sell a maximum of 3 items.Callers Can only be on once every 4 weeks.Cars Callers can only sell cars that are over 20 years old.Pets  No Animals of any kind can be advertised for sale or given away..au  This is done after 11 am.  125 gallon fish tank for sale in ohioIt only includes items phoned in not garage sales or events that are emailed or faxed in. 160 gallon fish tank for saleLISTING: Jenny    Geelong    Garage sale: 37 Heather St Hamlyn Heights     Valerie    Thomastown    Treadmill    9465 7772 Paul    Altona    Golf clubs    0411 515 922 Sam    Keysborough    2 exercise bikes, ladder    9798 5149 David    Footscray    Tickets boxing day test    0472 635 800 Pat        Garage sale: 23 Robertsons road Taylors Lakes   John    Rosanna    Dinner sets    0417 549 404 Peter    Frankston    Ocean going kayak, Ikea wardrobejuwel rio fish tank for sale

, porcelain dolls Garage Sale: 61 Gould st Frankston         0408 563 482   Narelle    Templestowe    Bike    9846 4371 (Ask for Bev) Bob    Seaford    Filing cabinet, fish tank, outdoor table and chairs    0488 16 09 43 John    Mt Eliza    Fishing kayak    0419 383 031 Nicole    Sunbury    Dining room table and tv unit, 2 single beds    0425 743 991        Ken    Cranbourne east    Lounge suite    0409 932 301 Lynne    Roxburgh park    16ft pop top caravan (Rob)    0407 35 21 27 Jerry    Philip island    English box fish tank chair pricetrees    0433 741 841           Ron    Vermont    Coffee tables, microwave trim kits    9873 2662 Gino    Murrumbeena    Kitchen sink, electric cooktop, glass entry door    0417 517 104coldwater fish tank for sale

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