Health officials in the US state of New Mexico are investigating after two people who had so-called 'vampire facials' were diagnosed with HIV.

The pair had the treatments at the VIP Spa in Albuquerque between May and September 2018.

The procedure, also known as a plasma-rich protein facial, involves taking a small sample of a client's blood.

It is then spun in a centrifuge before being concentrated.

The resulting plasma is spread across the client's face, and is supposed to help stimulate skin cell growth to make them look younger.

The procedure also involves micro-needling - where a series of tiny, superficial punctures are created in the person's face to help the skin absorb the proteins.

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is encouraging clients of the VIP Spa in Albuquerque to come in for free and confidential HIV and hepatitis B and C testing.

The NMDOH said its investigation has not identified potential exposures for HIV transmission, other than the injection related procedures at the VIP Spa.

Additional laboratory testing on specimens from the two clients indicates recent infection with the same HIV virus - increasing the likelihood that the two HIV infections may have resulted from a procedure at the spa.

The VIP Spa itself closed on September 7th last year, after an inspection identified "practices that could potentially spread blood-borne infections, such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C to clients".

Kathy Kunkel from the NMDOH said: "While over 100 VIP Spa clients have already been tested, NMDOH is reaching out to ensure that testing and counseling services are available for individuals who received injection related services at the VIP Spa.

"Testing is important for everyone as there are effective treatments for HIV and many hepatitis infections."

Additional reporting: IRN