The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Health warns that fish pedicures, in which tiny fish nibble flakes of skin off the feet, pose a risk of spreading HIV and hepatitis as well as other infectious diseases, according to the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG). People with skin conditions that cause open wounds can contaminate the water and the fish that absorb the dead cells, said Amin Al Amiri, MD, of the UAE’s health ministry. The UAE advises that fish used for medicinal purposes be kept in tanks with UV sterilizers and automatic water changers. Fish pedicures originated in Turkey as a psoriasis treatment but have become popular at beauty parlors across the world.
![fish nibble at a foot in the water pedicure](https://cdn3.poz.com/23091_fish-pedi-iStock-000017160714-Medium.jpg_873fe16a-b47a-4175-9254-2abcf8b55275.jpeg)
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