[Question #12308] Risk to my 3 year 7 months old daughter
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8 months ago
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Last month I was travelling in a train in India with my family. My 3 year old daughter wanted to pee.It was an indian toilet not the western type that you use in USA(Please see the image in the link to see how Indian toilet looks like https://www.dreamstime.com/indian-railway-passenger-train-toilet-top-angle-video-taken-new-delhi-railway-station-aug-indian-railway-video259625989). Please see the image as it is important to understand the situation in a better way. She sat on the seat in a Squat sitting position and I was holding her hand( You can see this image if you want https://fitnessdrum.com/asian-squats/) . She was wearing slippers (Please refer this link to see the kind of slipper she was wearing https://www.westside.com/products/yellow-light-green-applique-detailed-clogs-300986432) Now near to her left foot there was blood (it was not dry) , the quantity would have been like 3-4 drops. The blood was washed down the toilet sink by her pee. Now, what worries me is that She keeps on itching her foot and legs and it bleeds when she does it. I did not check whether rashes were present that day or not and whether she had itched it or not. So my question are as under:-1.What if the the blood might have splashed on to her foot due to her pee falling on the blood through the holes in the slipper(The actual slipper hole was only one on the side although it was bigger than the slipper in the link that i have attached and the other hole on the slipper was on top). Is it a risk for Hiv and other blood borne infections).2.What if it might have splashed back to vagina or anus although the blood was near to her left foot slipper and I doubt it splashing back due to her own pee falling on the blood. But assuming worst case what do you think. Is it a risk. Please Help. I am feeling very b
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
8 months ago
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Welcome to our Forum. Thanks for your questions. While I understand that as parents we often worry excessively about their health, I see no risk for infection from the situation you describe. HIV and other STIs are not transmitted through surface contamination of the sort you describe, even when the contamination contacts open sores, scratches or wounds. I should add that you do not know that the blood you saw was from a person with untreated HIV. Further HIV and other blood borne infections are not transmitted through contact from inanimate objects- there must be direct person-to-person contact.
Regarding your specific questions:
1.What if the the blood might have splashed on to her foot due to her pee falling on the blood through the holes in the slipper(The actual slipper hole was only one on the side although it was bigger than the slipper in the link that i have attached and the other hole on the slipper was on top). Is it a risk for Hiv and other blood borne infections).
No risk- see above
2.What if it might have splashed back to vagina or anus although the blood was near to her left foot slipper and I doubt it splashing back due to her own pee falling on the blood.
Again, no risk
I see no reason for concern and no reason for testing. Please don't worry. EWH
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8 months ago
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Thank you doctor. I would like to ask a few more questions below:- 1. My daughter's foot inside slipper (Where there was hole , it was design as mentioned earlier) must have been 1.5 cm to 2 cm above the level of blood beside her left foot. The size of that design (hole) in slipper would have been 4 cm long and height of max 1.5 cm. Is it possible for the tiny droplets of splash to enter through it and get on my baby's feet. 2. The blood would have been atleast 3-4 minutes old from my calculation. Would that make the virus non - viable . I have read on the internet that the virus can survive as long as for a week (link https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-hiv-live-outside-the-body) 3. I quickly checked the temperature in that area and it was around 27 celcius. Is that good enough to do damage to the virus and how much. Request you to explain. 4. Dr handsfield says that virus dies only with drying, however you say that it becomes inactive almost immediately. What is actual thing. Can you shed some light on it as internet mentions something else 5.One more thing I am pretty sure that I had checked my daughter's foot the very next day and I did not found any cuts or wound, however my OCD and skeptical my is not accepting that I had seen it. Assuming worst case that I did not check and that she had some wound from itching, is it a risk. 6. In your answer to question number 3024 you say that "even if someone gets infected blood or secretion onto a site where someone just had injection, there would be no appreciable risk. "Does that mean there is some risk. 7.Is my baby safe. I know I had brainfade that day. Ishould not have let her sit beside that blood to pee. This is killing me from inside. Can I put all my concerns and what Ifs to rest. 8. Could you give me some science based reasoning based on that facts that I have given to believe that my daughter is safe so that I can move on without any worry.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
8 months ago
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These are repetitive, "what if..." questions that serve no purpose. The events you describe DID NOT put your daughter at risk. The answer is not going to change with repetitive, anxiety-driven questions. Brief follow-up responses:
1. Irrelevant and does not change the answer. NO RISK
2. As I told you, blood and secretions outside the body become non-infectious once outside the body. The virus becomes non-infectious before it dies. The internet report you cite is a lab based study and is irrelevant. You asked for the facts, I gave them. If you choose to believe what you see on the internet, that is your choice.
3.AS I already said, the virus would not be infectious, if it was even in the blood you saw.
4. You are either misquoting or mis-interpreting Dr. Handsfield. As an example, we both agree that HIV is NOT transmitted through contact with inanimate objects, and is not transmitted when infected persons get their secretions on another person during mutual masturbation.
5. This is circular, paranoid reasoning. Even if it happened as you describe, there would be no risk
6. "no appreciable risk" = "no measurable risk" = no risk. Be realistic!!!!
7. Yes, she is safe from the events you describe.
8. That's what I've done throughout the thread
This completes this thread. There should be no reason fr you to return to the Forum. The assessment and answers are not going to change. EWH
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