Ottawa-area residents who've had work done at a Carleton Place salon in the last three years are being urged to pay close attention to their health after a public health warning went out this week. Southeast Public Health, which covers Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, says clients of the Galleria salon in Carleton Place may have been exposed to equipment that wasn't properly cleaned or disinfected between uses.
Carleton Place sits about 45 minutes southwest of downtown Ottawa, and the town is a regular draw for Ottawa-area residents heading out for weekend shopping, dining and personal care services along its Mississippi River main street. That means the potential exposure window isn't just a local Carleton Place issue — it likely touches plenty of Ottawa and west-end residents who've made the short drive out for an appointment over the past three years.
What the health unit is saying
Southeast Public Health hasn't specified the exact services involved in its public statement, but the warning centres on equipment used during certain salon treatments that wasn't cleaned or sterilized to the required standard. Improperly disinfected tools at a salon can potentially spread bloodborne infections, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and, less commonly, HIV, if the equipment breaks the skin during use.
The health unit is advising anyone who received the affected services at the salon to consider getting tested, even if they feel completely healthy. Infections like hepatitis C in particular can sit in the body for years without obvious symptoms, which is why public health officials tend to cast a wide net — in this case, a three-year lookback — when equipment sterilization is called into question.
Why Ottawa residents should take note
For Ottawa-area clients who may have crossed paths with the salon's affected equipment, the advice is straightforward: don't wait for symptoms. Anyone concerned should reach out to their family doctor, a local Ottawa walk-in clinic, or Southeast Public Health directly for guidance on testing. Bloodborne infections often have no early warning signs, so testing is the only reliable way to know for sure.
This kind of warning is also a good reminder for anyone booking personal care appointments, whether in Ottawa proper or in nearby towns like Carleton Place, Almonte or Perth — Ontario regulations require salons to follow strict cleaning and sterilization protocols, and lapses like this one are taken seriously by public health units precisely because the risks, while relatively rare, can be serious.
Southeast Public Health says more details, including which specific services are affected and how clients can access testing, will be shared as the investigation continues. Ottawa-area residents who've visited the salon in question are encouraged to monitor local health unit updates for the latest guidance.
Source: CBC Ottawa
