A surge in the number of people getting fish pedicures on the high street has prompted a health warning. Experts are worried that the latest beauty craze – offered in scores of salons – could spread infection and disease. The Health Protection Agency says the practice is the subject of a major investigation.Experts are worried that fish pedicures could spread infection and disease.

越來越多的人在這個嚴冬選擇去泡溫泉來疏解疲乏，在大大小小的湯池中，“小魚--魚療”湯池恐怕是最受大人和小孩都喜歡的湯池了，也是各大美體沙龍在推出“溫泉服務”中號稱能“處理腳上的死皮、壞皮膚”的溫泉療法也是沙龍老板們吸金的一個法寶。但是，最新的研究發現，魚療湯池是傳播疾病和病菌的“主要傳播途徑”，當然這是在大大小小湯池中相比較而得出的結論。英國衛生保護局（The Health Protection Agency）警告，在魚療中存在巨大感染傳染病的危險，希望此舉能獲得愛好“泡湯”人士的注意和關注。

The treatment, which costs between ?10 and ?50, involves customers dunking their feet in tanks to have their dead skin nibbled away by scores of Turkish miniature toothless carp.The treatment involves customers dunking their feet in tanks to have their dead skin nibbled away by scores of Turkish miniature toothless carp But it has been revealed the pedicures using the garra rufa fish – which have been banned in 14 states in the U.S. – could spread infection from person to person through open wounds. Salons say they use UV-lit tanks which are constantly filtered to keep them clear of disease.

在英國，這種“土耳其微型牙齒鯉魚---魚療溫泉泡湯”一般的價格是每次10到50英鎊左右，顧客們把腳放在湯池中，給一種叫做土耳其微型牙齒鯉魚的小魚兒“親吻”腳上的死皮，表面上，腳面上死皮被清除了，腳面也光滑許多，但是魚足療所用到的魚主要是淡紅墨頭魚(the garra rufa fish),又叫做作“醫生魚”,如果顧客的腳上有傷口,使用這種魚進行足療就可能在人與人之間傳播感染。令人吃驚的是,美國已經有14個州禁止飼養淡紅墨頭魚作為魚療服務的“服務人士”。

Customer Max Langton, from North London, said: ‘I had a pedicure from one of the new high street chains. I was put off when a man sitting opposite me said he had something wrong with his foot and hoped the fish were enjoying it.’ He added: ‘We were asked if we had any fungal infections, but no one checked.

有一個泡魚療湯池的來自倫敦的顧客Max Langton說：“有一次，當我準備享用魚療中小魚兒的服務時，我聽到對方坐著的一個男人的一席話給雷到了，雷得我泡湯的時候渾身不舒服。因為坐在對面也泡湯的男士一邊說自己有一定程度的腳病，希望小魚兒能幫他解除腳病的困擾。我心里就在想，老天，別讓我也染病??！”