5-21-07 - It was over a year ago that KAKE News first told you about a life-altering infection that was contracted from local pedicure foot spas. But despite lawsuits and injured victims, the problem still exists.

“You would think that if you ran this story, three times in one year talking about the importance of properly sanitizing these whirlpool spas, the salons in the community would get the picture," said Wichita Attorney Dan Giroux.

KAKE's Susan Peters caught up with one of the victims from last year. Rene Kaufman suffered lesions on her legs and still bears the scars, some 16 months after the pedicure she says infected her.

Dermatologist Dr. Chris Moeller has seen over a dozen of new cases since KAKE News first aired the report, including 18-year-old Molly McKennon.

Four days after molly went in for a pedicure, boils began erupting on her legs. That was in January. The infection has kept Molly from her senior year on the swim team.

Attorney Dan Giroux represents two clients who have the same scars. Girooux filed a claim for damages against the Dashing Divas salon in East Wichita, where he claims both his clients got the infection. The claim asks for an unspecified amount in pain, suffering, disfigurement and medical bills.

But the state has no regulations that spell out that drains and filters need to be flushed out after each pedicure. Dr Moeller says it would have been wise if the Kansas Board of Cosmetology enacted new regulations after the original stories aired.

Several other states including Texas and California did so quickly, after their outbreaks. Over a year after the first complaint in Kansas, new regulations are still just proposed by the Kansas board and may not become law for several months.

The owners of Dashing Divas salon, and their attorney declined comment for this story, other than to say they clean their pedicure foot spas properly. The Kansas Board of Cosmetology has given it a clean bill of health, after issuing four violations against Dashing Divas last year.

Experts advise consumers to take the following precautions: