[Question #13391] Sharing food and Herpes transmission

1 days ago

Hello,

I am sorry for the ignorance but I have questions about Oral Herpes transmission with food sharing.

Can oral herpes spread to me if I use my own fork and eat from a warm bowl of rice with someone with an unknown history of oral herpes if they use their own fork? They do not show symptoms of oral herpes that I know of. The other person is a relative with history of different partners.

Thank you for your patience with me

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

1 days ago

That is a zero risk situation for transmission of oral herpes. And the number of partners they have has nothing to do with it! This is normally not a sexually transmitted infection in the way you are thinking about that.

Terri

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1 days ago

Thank you for the reply. I have some follow up questions

1. If saliva is on the their fork and touching the food, this is not a vector for oral herpes/HSV-1 to transmit to another person taking that food?

2. Zero risk situation means that I am safe from getting infected even if they are asymptomatic?

Thank you again, I have read a lot of misinformation on the internet which has confused and frightened me

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

23 hours ago

I have never in 40 years of specializing in herpes seen someone acquire this from sharing food or drinks. I know the internet says this could happen, but COULD it happen, conceptually, is way different than it actually happening. And in your specific situation,, I would bet a million dollars it would not happen

Terri

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15 hours ago

Thank you this makes me feel more assured. I feel like I can move on from this incident now. Thank you again

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

5 hours ago

You're welcome

Terri

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