Health officials in a northern Iowa county have closed down an unlicensed tattoo and body piercing facility in Burchinal -and are advising customers to get tested by a doctor. Cerro Gordo County environmental health service manager Brian Hanft says concerns were raised by some people who had visited Freeky Inks Tattoo’s. He says they got a call about the place and visited it with the Sheriff and determined it was unlicensed and closed it down. Hanft says people who got tattoos or body piercings at Freeky Inks in the past two years will want to see their physician immediately.He says there are concerns about the needles and tattooing equipment and customers should get tested for possible blood borne pathogens. The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health conducts inspections on tattoo establishments for thirteen counties in north-central Iowa, and Hanft says it’s unusual to find one that is unlicensed or unsanitary. He says most tattoo artists are licensed and says when they get a call they follow up on it. He says customers should contact their doctor or local health department for more information.
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