[Question #13739] Please Help!

1 months ago

Hello, Yesterday I had a coworker helping me shovel my driveway he wanted to go in and use my bathroom. As he was bending down to untie his shoes mi dog started licking him in his mouth after he used the bathroom he left and about 10 minutes later I sat down and all of a sudden my dog started licking an open cut on my leg that just happened while shoveling and it was still actively bleeding. I didn’t think much of it and told the dog to stop and he did after a few licks. Today I seen my coworker again and his lips were actively bleeding and very chapped, I said hey man you are bleeding and he said, oh my lips were bleeding way worse yesterday.

After he said that I got really anxious and now I am freaking out because his lifestyle I would say is very high risk for having hiv or hepatitis. So now I fear I could have been infected with HIV or HEP B/C

If my dog did in deed lick his actively bleeding chapped lips and then 10 minutes or so later licked my actively bleeding leg wound would that put me at risk for contracting HIV or HEPATITIS? My dog was sitting on the couch the entire time between licking and did not lick anything else at all. My thoughts is that the blood of my co worker just sat on the dogs tongue in his warm mouth until he licked my wound and that could have kept the virus’ active.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

1 months ago

Welcome to our form. Thanks for your questions. I’m pleased to be able to reassure you that there is no risk whatsoever of your dog transferring a blood-borne infection such as HIV, or hepatitis B or C through the transfer of blood from your friend’s lips to your dog’s mouth and then on to an active cut on your leg. You don’t mention any reason to think that your friend has any of those infections ( and it is statistically unlikely that he does) however, even if he does, there is no risk. The viruses you mentioned become non infectious after exposure to the environment, saliva has chemicals, which inhibit the growth of viruses and bacteria, and the transfer process is inefficient and does not transfer sufficient amount of material to result in infection. I have never seen nor heard of transfer of any infection in the manner you describe and, since “doggie kisses” are common, there be many reports of this occurring. . I see no reason for concern and no reason for testing. Please don’t worry. EWH.---

1 months ago

My co worker I would consider high risk for HIV and Hepatitis. He's 28 years old, active drug user and has had unprotected sexual relationships with multiple men and women. The amount of blood I seen on his lip was sufficient covering 1/3 of his bottom lip. What concerns me most is that my dog was laying down with his mouth closed for the 10 minutes in between wouldn’t that keep the virus infectious being inside a warm environment? My dog seems to have a dryer mouth compared to other dogs (not much saliva)

I asked him today if he was indeed bleeding when the dog licked his lips and he said Yes and that’s the reason the dog was licking him for the blood. Ugh.

1) Would the blood from his lip really be 100% non infectious and unable to transmit infection within the 10-15 minute timeframe here?

2) Could the blood drops that were in the dog’s closed mouth stay infectious due to the warm body temperature environment?

3) My wound was on my leg and about the size of a dime fully open and wet and was bleeding slightly still, why isn’t this an open route of transmission?

4) After the dog licked my wound, I sprayed my leg with alcohol sanitizer and it obviously stung, would this change the risk? I read before that this could increase transmission risk.

5) The dog licked my wound probably 3 times rubbing it in to the wound before I could register it in my head and tell him to stop, make any difference?

6) Can I truly be 100% sure that I was not at all at risk of HIV or HEP B/C?

This entire situation has just made me sick to my stomach the last day and a half. I appreciate your help and advice.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

1 months ago

Thanks for the additional information. Despite your friend's risks, statistically it is unlikely that he has any of the infections you describe and are concerned about. My assessment if unchanged.

1) Would the blood from his lip really be 100% non infectious and unable to transmit infection within the 10-15 minute timeframe here?

Yes

2) Could the blood drops that were in the dog’s closed mouth stay infectious due to the warm body temperature environment?

No, if anything they would have been swallowed

3) My wound was on my leg and about the size of a dime fully open and wet and was bleeding slightly still, why isn’t this an open route of transmission?

For transmission to occur the infectious material must be introduced into the bloodstream. Your bloos was flowing out, if anything.

4) After the dog licked my wound, I sprayed my leg with alcohol sanitizer and it obviously stung, would this change the risk? I read before that this could increase transmission risk.

Spraying to wound with alcohol would not change the infection risk

5) The dog licked my wound probably 3 times rubbing it in to the wound before I could register it in my head and tell him to stop, make any difference?

6) Can I truly be 100% sure that I was not at all at risk of HIV or HEP B/C?

Yes

As I indicated above, this was a no risk event. If you wish to prove it to your self, you can test although testing for the agents you describe will not be conclusive until 4-6 weeks. I emphasize that testing would only be for reassurance, not because of any medical of scientific need.

EWH

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1 months ago

If you a 100% confident that I do not need any testing I would rather not test?

Not sure if I can ask this on here, but

Could I ask you one more question regarding a possible exposure that has been on my mind also that happened a while back. I was using a public restroom in a business and when I turned the light switch off with my finger I felt a poke feeling or pain feeling and then left. I pinched my finger hard to see if there was any blood I didn’t see any on finger but under my nail looked really red. After thinking about it a while I started to panic and went back about an 20 minutes later to the business and looked around the bathroom and its floor etc and didn’t see any needles, but if somehow a hollow core or other type needle was there on or around the light switch and poked me causing blood under my finger would this be a risk? If it had the plunger part of the needle it would have been noticeable I’m sure, but I would assume it was just the needle itself. Sorry for the extra item.

1 months ago

And would you say unprotected sex with my wife is still okay.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

1 months ago

Final response.

I am confident that you are not at risk for HIV, hepatitis or other blood borne exposures from that you describe.

Regarding the other event, I would have no concerns regarding risk for HIV or other blood borne infections.

I see no reason from what you have described regarding continued unprotected sex with your wife.

End of thread. EWH

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