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Can HIV Be Contracted Through Contact With Blood On Skin?
Question: I was in a train. There was a huge rush in a station. A man accidentally collided with me. But I was terrified when I saw that he was bleeding and he hit my face with his bloody hand and some blood entered my mouth through my lips. I am afraid if he was hiv positive. Am i at risk at all?Can i get infected by hiv?I only know that hiv only transmits through sexual activities and it can't infect once blood comes off on surface of the body like through a cut in body. Please help me out. Can i get hiv by eye?
Brief Answer:
HIV transmission by blood contact from ? infected individual
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
HIV infection can be transmitted by contact of mucous membrane or non-intact skin (e.g.exposed skin that is chapped, abraded, or afflicted with dermatitis)
with blood .
A very small number of people - usually in a healthcare setting - have become infected with HIV as a result of blood splashes in the eye. So the risk is very small.
Blood in the mouth carries an even lower risk. The lining of the mouth is very protective, so the only way HIV could enter the bloodstream would be if the person had a cut, open sore or area of inflammation somewhere in their mouth or throat (if the blood was swallowed). Even then, the person would have to get a fairly significant quantity of fresh blood (i.e. an amount that can be clearly seen or tasted) directly into the region of the cut or sore for there to be a risk. HIV is diluted by saliva and easily killed by stomach acid once the blood is swallowed.
Saliva also contains endogenous antiviral factors (mucins and
thrombospondin 1,secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) which block HIV infection.
So the risk is there but considerably small .
If you feel that this needs to be tested, you can check yourself with an HIV (ELISA) spot test a few weeks from now. Such a test can be done at your local clinic, community hospital or your doctors office. So it should be easy to get done.
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX
HIV transmission by blood contact from ? infected individual
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
HIV infection can be transmitted by contact of mucous membrane or non-intact skin (e.g.exposed skin that is chapped, abraded, or afflicted with dermatitis)
with blood .
A very small number of people - usually in a healthcare setting - have become infected with HIV as a result of blood splashes in the eye. So the risk is very small.
Blood in the mouth carries an even lower risk. The lining of the mouth is very protective, so the only way HIV could enter the bloodstream would be if the person had a cut, open sore or area of inflammation somewhere in their mouth or throat (if the blood was swallowed). Even then, the person would have to get a fairly significant quantity of fresh blood (i.e. an amount that can be clearly seen or tasted) directly into the region of the cut or sore for there to be a risk. HIV is diluted by saliva and easily killed by stomach acid once the blood is swallowed.
Saliva also contains endogenous antiviral factors (mucins and
thrombospondin 1,secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) which block HIV infection.
So the risk is there but considerably small .
If you feel that this needs to be tested, you can check yourself with an HIV (ELISA) spot test a few weeks from now. Such a test can be done at your local clinic, community hospital or your doctors office. So it should be easy to get done.
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Sir after how many weeks i can get a conclusive result if i want to get a hiv test?
Brief Answer:
HIV detection tests following exposure
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
The interval between infection and detection (window period) of HIV :-
22 days/03 weeks for antibody testing -ELISA/enzyme immunoassay (EIA).
However early detection is possible -such as
16 days with p24 antigen testing .
12 days with NAT(nucleic acid testing) .
One incidental query-is there any CCTV footage of the station so that the injured individual can be traced as the person is likely to visit some clinic or hospital for his injury .One can then remain doubly sure.
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX
HIV detection tests following exposure
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
The interval between infection and detection (window period) of HIV :-
22 days/03 weeks for antibody testing -ELISA/enzyme immunoassay (EIA).
However early detection is possible -such as
16 days with p24 antigen testing .
12 days with NAT(nucleic acid testing) .
One incidental query-is there any CCTV footage of the station so that the injured individual can be traced as the person is likely to visit some clinic or hospital for his injury .One can then remain doubly sure.
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Ok sir I'll sure make a test for this. Sir lastly i want to know that am I at risk? Just want to know for my mental peace. Is there any documented case which say hiv can be spread through mouth?
Brief Answer:
HIV transmission risk
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
For all practical purposes,your chance of getting infected is extremely small,as it seems you did not have any breach in the skin or mucous membrane of face or mouth /oral cavity;amount of blood contact is negligible and moreover the injured person may not be at all infected with HIV.Transmission of HIV
through intact skin has not been documented.Hence don't get unnecessarily perturbed. Even health care -workers who often handle HIV patients don't get infected by observing simple universal precaution.
There has been only one documented case of someone becoming infected with HIV through kissing; a result of exposure to infected blood during open-mouthed kissing. If one or one's partner have blood in mouth, one should avoid kissing until the bleeding stops. .
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX
HIV transmission risk
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
For all practical purposes,your chance of getting infected is extremely small,as it seems you did not have any breach in the skin or mucous membrane of face or mouth /oral cavity;amount of blood contact is negligible and moreover the injured person may not be at all infected with HIV.Transmission of HIV
through intact skin has not been documented.Hence don't get unnecessarily perturbed. Even health care -workers who often handle HIV patients don't get infected by observing simple universal precaution.
There has been only one documented case of someone becoming infected with HIV through kissing; a result of exposure to infected blood during open-mouthed kissing. If one or one's partner have blood in mouth, one should avoid kissing until the bleeding stops. .
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
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