MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- Five young people have come down with severe cases of Staphylococcal infection.

Health officials fear an unlicensed tattoo artist may be spreading the bug.

It's so severe that the secretary of state's office is trying to figure out whether the tattooist should be charged with a crime.

Bill Henshaw takes extra care to use sterile equipment at his tattoo shop.

"I've been tattooing for 27 years now professionally and never had a problem anywhere I've worked," Henshaw said.

But an unlicensed tattooist in Middlebury might have given five people a Staphylococcal infection, which is resistant to many antibiotics.

Two of the people were hospitalized.

The symptoms range from skin sores to pneumonia.

The bacteria is spread by direct contact or by touching objects that person contaminated.

There's no great risk of transmission, but health officials suggest you wash your hands often and avoid touching a person who's infected.

Also, stay away from unlicensed tattooists, said the health department and licensed artists like Henshaw.

"Would you go to a brain surgeon that's just practicing?" Henshaw said. "Or how about a guy that's practicing rolling up a parachute? Wouldn't you want a licensed person doing that?"

Health officials still aren't sure the infection was spread by the tattooist.