Health authorities have shut down a home-based tattoo parlour in Calgary, and are advising anyone who got inked there to get tested for infections.
Pharaohs Enhancing Body Art had been operating out of an apartment on Calgary’s Centre Street North. Alberta health officials shut it down on Oct. 30, citing unsanitary conditions that may have exposed customers to blood-borne viruses like HIV and hepatitis.
Pharaohs’ owner, Cecil Reddick, denied that his work put people at risk.
“That’s not true at all whatsoever” he told CTV Calgary. “I’ve been an artist close to 20 years. I’ve graduated business school twice for this and I know what I’m doing.”
Alberta Health first learned of the home-based tattoo parlour from a complaint. The business, which advertises online, is not registered with the province.
The province said it has no idea how many people got tattooed at Pharaohs. There have been no reported cases of infection linked to the place, but health authorities say those who have concerns should call Health Link at 1-866-408-5465 to arrange confidential testing.
Dr. Judy MacDonald of Alberta Health Services said the risk of infection is “probably fairly low, but not zero.”
With a report from CTV Calgary
