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What Are The Chances Of HIV Transmission Through Food?
Question: Hi doctor. My fries from Wendy's today tasted awful and as I looked down there was red on a few of them. I did almost all of them before noticing. I'm freaking out about contracting HIV. What are the risks? My husband said it was blood so im definitly worried. I also have a few cuts on my gums and my lip. Please answer
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
There have been a few cases of HIV being transmitted via eating something that had fresh HIV blood on it, but these cases were in infants (where they ate infected masticated food).
The chances of transmission are quite low. First, the person who's blood it was would have to have HIV, they would have to have a high titer (i.e. not be getting treated), the blood would have to be fresh, and you would have to have cuts (which you said you do). Also, if the food was hot, that would most likely destroy the HIV as it requires very specific conditions to survive. It can't survive once exposed to air for very long either.
If you are absolutely sure it was blood, and you are sure it wasn't from the cuts you described above from your gums and lips, you should report it to the Wendy's as this is very unacceptable hygiene.
The following information is from the CDC on the subject:
"You can’t get HIV from consuming food handled by an HIV-infected person. Even if the food contained small amounts of HIV-infected blood or semen, exposure to the air, heat from cooking, and stomach acid would destroy the virus.
Though it is very rare, HIV can be spread by eating food that has been pre-chewed by an HIV-infected person. The contamination occurs when infected blood from a caregiver’s mouth mixes with food while chewing. The only known cases are among infants."
I hope this information helps.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
There have been a few cases of HIV being transmitted via eating something that had fresh HIV blood on it, but these cases were in infants (where they ate infected masticated food).
The chances of transmission are quite low. First, the person who's blood it was would have to have HIV, they would have to have a high titer (i.e. not be getting treated), the blood would have to be fresh, and you would have to have cuts (which you said you do). Also, if the food was hot, that would most likely destroy the HIV as it requires very specific conditions to survive. It can't survive once exposed to air for very long either.
If you are absolutely sure it was blood, and you are sure it wasn't from the cuts you described above from your gums and lips, you should report it to the Wendy's as this is very unacceptable hygiene.
The following information is from the CDC on the subject:
"You can’t get HIV from consuming food handled by an HIV-infected person. Even if the food contained small amounts of HIV-infected blood or semen, exposure to the air, heat from cooking, and stomach acid would destroy the virus.
Though it is very rare, HIV can be spread by eating food that has been pre-chewed by an HIV-infected person. The contamination occurs when infected blood from a caregiver’s mouth mixes with food while chewing. The only known cases are among infants."
I hope this information helps.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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