Authorities say contaminated water used in tattoo ink caused a mysterious outbreak of nasty skin rashes in upstate New York. Dermatologist Mark Goldgeiger discovered the link after finding traces of bacteria related to tuberculosis in a sample taken from a patient who had a bumpy, reddish rash around his new tattoo. “I explained [to the patient] that he had TB, and he had a look of horror on his face,” Goldgeiger told ABC News. Goldgeiger’s patient, a normally healthy 20-year-old male with several other tattoos, didn’t have tuberculosis, but the doctor did find a trace of bacteria related to the deadly germ. He had recently been inked at a tattoo parlor in Rochester, N.Y. “As soon as biopsy came back, I knew something in the process of tattooing was involved — the ink, the water used for dilution, the syringes, the dressings.” Officials found 19 people who had been tattooed at the same location — all with gray ink — and experienced skin infections.
