Foot Nibbling Fish Spa ... !!

[joggerjayne]

So it says on the News today that those nibbley fish can carry diseases, including hepatitis.

Maybe they need to put lots of chlorine in the water.

I don't suppose the fish would like that, though.

[tiggerblue10]

They've got them in the Whitgift Centre in Croydon but I don't fancy putting my feet in water that loads of other people have put their feet in. Had enough of verrucas when I was a kid.

[notasyoungasiwas]

Does anyone else feel sorry for the poor fish ?!

[pink-kittens]

your feet are checked before you dip

I dont fancy one of these *shudder*

[tiggerblue10]

They seem to like dead skin but I feel sorry for them if they have a smelly customer.

[NoMercy]

Riiiiiiight!

Is it a human variant hepatitis?

[joggerjayne]

Dunno

[snags]

Scaremongering... or should that be fishmongering...

[NoMercy]

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver... Fish have livers...

I cannot imagine an aquatic strain of hepatitis can be transmitted to humans.

[craft1948]

I don't understand how people can let their feet get into the state of needing dead skin nibbling off.................

[pink-kittens]

According to news items on the web these things are banned in 14 states of the US

I'm not sure who they would spread diseases TBH - surely Hep is transferred through bodily fluids? So, if the fish had teeth maybe, but these are gumming fish, no teeth at all

[fliptheswitch]

As reported in The Sun and The Mail... enough said.

http://www.aidsmap.com/page/2107544/

[cazzz1975]

eating lots of different dead skin off people with all sorts of illnesses and ailments is bound to have an effect on the fishes health.

[fliptheswitch]

" An infected client would need to bleed from an open cut, abrasion or wound into the water, and then another client would need to also have an open cut, abrasion or wound for the infected blood to enter his or her bloodstream. Importantly, the concentration of virus would be substantially reduced by the diluting effect of the water.

If virus contaminated a fish’s mouth, it would be unlikely to remain on the mouth and effect a transmission to the next client. Moreover a fish cannot itself be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (and there is no “fish equivalent” of HIV)."

[pink-kittens]

drinking the water isn't safe and now dipping your feet in the water isn't safe either .....

[joggerjayne]

Well, you wouldn't drink that particular water !!

Drinking bottled water can be a bit dodgy ... there aren't many legal controls over what's in those bottles.

Drinking tap water is fine.

[snags]

How long is an average session? I doubt the fish can consume a significant amount of dead skin to make any meaningful difference...

[NoMercy]

Forbidden in 14 US states?

In Michigan it's illegal to chain an alligator to a fire hydrant . As if you would...;-)

[joggerjayne]

If I passed an alligator in the street, I'd prefer it to be chained to a fire hydrant.

[fliptheswitch]

When I had it done, it lasted about 20 minutes. I didn't notice any difference whatsoever. My Mum had it done with me, and she said her feet felt really, really soft afterwards. She does suffer with dry/hard skin though.
They certainly never asked us if we had HIV before we had it done. Just if we'd used fake tan or nail polish in the past 24 hours.