[Question #13100] Hotel room - HSV2
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2 months ago
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I shared a hotel room with someone who is positive for HSV-2. We had separate towels but now I’m worried that he may have used mine by accident. I know that towels have been indicated as a possible vector for transmission.
How long after a towel is used by a person with HSV-2 is there a risk of spreading HSV-2 by another person using that same towel?
I also left a bar of soap in the shower. Is this also a risk for indirect transmission?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
2 months ago
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We caution people about towels as they may stay wet and warm though I don't believe any of the herpes experts I know have seen a transmission in this way.
I don't understand the question about the soap in the shower. Did he use it first? Is that the concern? If yes, that is NOT a concern, no. I don't believe there is any risk in your situation.
Terri
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2 months ago
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1. Why are towels a risk and not hands? Is this more or less risky than transferring via hands?
2. I’m worried bc the towels we stayed damp for hours afterwards bc we each used them as a hand towel to dry my hands after washing.
3. What kind of contact with a towel would pose a risk? Is it dabbing one’s genitalia or like grinding on the towel immediately after used by someone with HSV-2?
4. He’s never had an outbreak (diagnosed by a blood test and confirmed by western blot) Does that change the risk?
5. If there were at least 10 minutes between each his using it and my using it, what is the risk? The bathroom was warm and steamy too.
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
2 months ago
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1. Why are towels a risk and not hands? Is this more or less risky than transferring via hands?
These are different situations. If someone with HSV 2 wipes their genitals dry with a moist towel and then someone else comes along and wipes their genital with the same towel, there may be a tiny tiny risk of transmission. In a sexual situation, probably not enough virus would be transferred via hands to be a risk as hands are touching other things as well, but we can't say that is zero risk either. Both are incredibly low risk, but I never say never.
2. I’m worried bc the towels we stayed damp for hours afterwards bc we each used them as a hand towel to dry my hands after washing.
Your hands are not a risk of acquiring virus because the skin of your hands is too thick for virus to penetrate
3. What kind of contact with a towel would pose a risk? Is it dabbing one’s genitalia or like grinding on the towel immediately after used by someone with HSV-2?
See answer 1 above
4. He’s never had an outbreak (diagnosed by a blood test and confirmed by western blot) Does that change the risk?
yes, people who are asymptomatic shed virus less often than people with symptoms
5. If there were at least 10 minutes between each his using it and my using it, what is the risk? The bathroom was warm and steamy too.
Again, hands are not a risk, genitalia a tiny risk
Terri
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2 months ago
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There is a misunderstanding regarding my last post. We used the towels to dry our bodies several times but they were moist because we also used them as hand towels. Can you please take another look at questions 2 and 3 (above) with that in mind? Is there still risk to me of getting HSV-2 based on this exposure? I’m worried because I found a case of where authors suspected fomite transmission: Mixed primary infection by herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 in a 5-month-old infant with no evidence of sexual abuse January 2015Indian Journal of Dermatology Venereology and Leprology 81(6):612
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
2 months ago
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I'm not sure how your explanation above changes anything. So you used towels to dry your bodies and your hands as well. I got that. I think the question is if you used his towel that he used to dry his body, is that a risk for you acquiring HSV 2 genitally? Is that right? If that is correct, then my opinion stands - this is an incredibly low risk situation for you to acquire HSV 2.
Terri
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