LISBON, OH -- The Columbiana County Health Department has filed charges against an unlicensed tattoo artist whom it believes caused the spread of the skin infection MRSA to at least three people last month, by giving them unsanitary tattoos.

31-year-old William Tullis of Leetonia is charged with six counts of tattooing without a license, which is a 4th-Degree misdemeanor in Ohio. Punishment for each count could likely be fines, but the Columbiana County prosecuting attorney would have to decide whether to pursue jail time against Tullis, who is already on probation.

The case began when three people turned up with MRSA at East Liverpool City Hospital in October. They were all treated for the skin infection and are recovering, but there's a new wrinkle--tests on Tullis' tattooing equipment turned up negative for MRSA. "This doesn't necessarily mean these persons did not receive the bacteria from the tattooing process," says County epidemiologist Michael Ruta, "It just means the source of the bacteria was not the tattooing equipment itself. It could have been something in the tattooing environment." Ruta says there are several possibilities, including that MRSA may have already been on the victims' skin, and the tattooing process allowed the bacteria to get under the skin and infect it.

The Health Department is reminding anyone who is considering getting a tattoo: Make sure sure your tattoo artist is licensed, with his permit prominently displayed in his shop, and make sure your artist is going through the process in a sanitary manner.