据香港媒体报道，香港大学微生物学系教授胡钊逸发表医学文章，指针灸可以传播乙型及丙型肝炎，甚至是艾滋病。
胡钊逸在《英国医学杂志》表示，全球至今有50宗因为针灸感染细菌的病例纪录，但相信只是冰山一角。他指出，这些病例大多数涉及受污染的扎针，传播源头是另一位受感染的病人。但也有一宗个案，传播源头是针灸师。
50宗个案中的大部分病人自动痊愈，但有5%至10%的患者出现严重问题，包括关节受损、多个器官衰竭、肌肉腐烂，甚至瘫痪。至少5名病人感染乙型肝炎。
胡钊逸警告，针灸有可能还会传播丙型肝炎和艾滋病，建议针灸时使用即弃的针，以及在施针前加强消毒皮肤，减低传播机会，有关单位应加强规管。
Acupuncture transmitted infections
Acupuncture, which is based on the theory that inserting and manipulating fine needles at specific acupuncture points located in a network of meridians will promote the harmonious flow of "Qi," is one of the most widely practised modalities of alternative medicine. Because needles are inserted up to several centimetres beneath the skin, acupuncture may pose risks to patients. One of the most important complications is transmission of pathogenic micro-organisms, from environment to patient or from one patient to another.
In the 1970s and 1980s most infections associated with acupuncture were sporadic cases involving pyogenic bacteria.1 So far, more than 50 cases have been described globally. In most cases, pyogenic bacteria were transmitted from the patient’s skin flora or the environment because of inadequate skin disinfection before acupuncture. In localised infections, meridian specific and acupuncture point specific lesions were typical. About 70% of patients had musculoskeletal or skin infections, usually in...
