COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Columbus Health Department has issued a public health alert to warn residents of a serious, contagious kind of skin infection that has been identified, WCMH-TV reported.

Three cases have been confirmed. As many as 15 more are being investigated.

In all of them, the patients ran into trouble while trying to get an at-home tattoo using printer cartridge ink and guitar string.

"Then it is actually used to puncture the skin," said Columbus Health Commissioner Teresa Long.

It is a shocking idea for some, but it is more common than most people think.

"it's very common for the guys to come in and buy guitar strings for tattoos," said Steve Hayes, a clerk at The String Shoppe. "(They're) not good tattoos. What they refer to as, maybe, 'jailhouse tattoos' or something like that."

Long said people in Columbus are getting these makeshift tattoos in their homes. She said they are having tattoo parties in their yards with grim results.

"(They) could have pustules -- open wounds that are draining, and that's the initial presentation," Long said. "Quite frankly, that can become more serious, leading to either bone infection or serious systemic infections."

City officials said that any person giving tattoos without a license can face misdemeanor criminal charges.

"It's not just the person themselves that we're concerned about," Long said. "This indeed is an infection, an antibiotic-resistant infection that can spread to family members."

Residents who have this type of infection or know someone who does should call the Columbus Health Department at (614) 645-4444.