Getting a permanent tattoo involves piercing the skin with a needle and injecting coloured ink in different designs. If the needle or the surroundings is infected, then the chances of transmission of the hepatitis virus goes up manifold.
Ajay Kumar, senior consultant (gastroenterology) at the Indraprastha Apollo hospital told,'Tattoos are a potential cause for spreading hepatitis B and C virus, even HIV. While the number of cases is still not very high, we do come across patients who have been infected this way'.'The main risk is if the equipment, which is the needle, is infected and not enough precaution is taken to prevent transmission,'
But it's not just the needle that can spread the virus. So even if they use disposable syringes or fresh gloves, if an artist uses the same ink bottle for several clients, the chances of transmission of the virus increase. Now since these ink bottles are mostly imported, they generally don't use fresh bottles for every client,'
He said, 'The chances of a person getting infected are higher if one gets it done immediately after an infected person at a tattoo parlour'.
Sachdev said 5 to 10 percent are infected by hepatitis in India. The country also has around 2.5 million HIV-affected people.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the viral hepatitis kills more people than any other communicable disease in Southeast Asia (the world body categorises India in this region).
In fact the estimated number of deaths in the region associated with viral hepatitis and its complications exceeds deaths due to malaria, dengue and HIV/AIDS combined.
While hepatitis A and E are transmitted through contaminated food and water, hepatitis B and C are transmitted through infected blood or body fluids. And while there are vaccines against hepatitis A and B, there are none for C and E.
According to WHO, it is estimated that in Southeast Asia, 100 million people have chronic hepatitis B infection (5.6 percent of the population) and 30 million people have chronic hepatitis C infection (1.6 percent of the population).Hepatitis B virus is 50-100 times more infectious than HIV, WHO says.
Youngsters going to get a tattoo should take care that fresh needle and fresh ink bottle is used. Also that they are vaccinated. And the artist should find out if any of their client is B or C positive.