Bacterial infections, hepatitis B and C, and possibly even HIV
are being transmitted via acupuncture through the use of
contaminated needles, cotton swabs and hot packs, experts
warned.
In an editorial published in the British Medical Journal,
microbiologists at the University of Hong Kong said the number of
reported acupuncture-related infections worldwide was the tip of an
iceberg and they called for tighter infection control
measures.
"To prevent infections transmitted by acupuncture, infection
control measures should be implemented, such as use of disposable
needles, skin disinfection procedures and aseptic techniques,"
wrote the researchers, led by Patrick Woo, microbiology professor
at the University of Hong Kong.
"Stricter regulation and accreditation requirements are also
needed," they added.
Acupuncture is one of the most widely practised strands of
alternative medicine and is based on the theory that inserting and
manipulating fine needles at specific points in the body helps to
promote the flow of "Qi" or energy.
It has its origins in ancient China and has become widely accepted
in the West in recent decades particularly in the treatment of
pain.
It is also used for conditions like obesity, constipation and
arthritis, among others, although documented scientific evidence
for these are patchy.
Woo and his colleagues said acupuncture may be risky as needles are
inserted up to several centimetres beneath the skin and they warned
of a new syndrome - acupuncture mycobacteriosis - in the 21st
century.
"This is an infection caused by mycobacteria that rapidly grow
around the acupuncture insertion point as a result of contaminated
cotton wool swabs, towels and hot-pack covers.
There is a long incubation period but the infection usually
leads to large abscesses and ulcers," they wrote.
"So far, more than 50 cases have been described globally. In most
cases ... bacteria were transmitted from the patient's skin flora
or the environment because of inadequate skin disinfection before
acupuncture," they wrote.
While most patients recover from these bacterial infections, five
to 10% of the reported bacterial infections end up with serious
problems including joint destruction, multi-organ failure,
flesh-eating disease and paralysis.
There have been at least five outbreaks of hepatitis B virus
infection that are linked to acupuncture.
In most of these cases, the sources were infected patients and the
virus was transmitted through dirty needles, although in one case,
it was the acupuncturist who was the source, they said.
The paper also laid out the possibility of transmission of
hepatitis C and HIV via acupuncture.
"Although no clear evidence exists to support a link between
acupuncture and HIV infection, there are reports of patients with
HIV who had no risk factors other than acupuncture," it said.
