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Updated: Aug 18, 2026
09:03
Growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Biofilms
Published on: February 15, 2012
Mycobacteria in nail salon whirlpool footbaths, California
Duc J Vugia1, Yvonne Jang, Candi Zizek
1California Department of Health Services, Berkeley, California 94704, USA. dvugia@dhs.ca.gov
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|April 15, 2005
Abstract:
In 2000, an outbreak of Mycobacterium fortuitum furunculosis affected customers using whirlpool footbaths at a nail salon. We swabbed 30 footbaths in 18 nail salons from 5 California counties and found mycobacteria in 29 (97%); M. fortuitum was the most common. Mycobacteria may pose an infectious risk for pedicure customers.
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