[Question #9929] Risk of getting HIV

27 months ago

I live in an Apartment complex in Canada and yesterday I went to dump garbage into one of the site dumpsters. Dumpster was half filled and there was a black plastic sheet on top. When throwing out the garbage bag, it got ripped and some of the trash scattered out.At the time I was wearing a thin Knitted winter gloves (even it's spring just for safety) and I tried to touch the bottom of the ripped garbage bag which was sitting on the plastic sheet inside dumpster. Then I felt wetness on my fingertips through the loosely knit glove. When I looked inside the dumpster I saw some liquid (bubbles like) on the plastic sheet and two red blood clot like particles.

When I removed the knit gloves, my fingertips were almost dried.So within 2-3 mins I went back to my apartment and washed my hands thoroughly with soap and hot water several times.

Then I wore a pair of multi purpose latex gloves and went back to the dumpster and tied the ripped end of the garbage bag (I am thinking was I crazy to put my hand there again even with latex gloves), Then I saw little drops of liquid on my glove from the same location and my gloves slightly touch the red particle there. I quickly wiped the glove with a tissue and the liquid was a little pink. I came home and put the tissue in the sink but the red colour particle did not dissolve.

27 months ago

There is a chance that this liquid leaked from my home garbage bag, I had empty slurpee cups and coffee cups with my garbage (no worries about the trash inside my garbage bag). But what if this was some infected body fluid which was already there from someone else's garbage. Also there was not a large amount of liquid present.

1. So On incident 1 : where I was wearing loose knit glove , if liquid was infected blood or body fluid can I get infected with HIV or hepatitis? I am pretty sure my skin was intact and didn't have any visible cuts or scratches?

2. In Incident 2 where I had latex gloves (pretty sure they were not damaged and it said they are tear resistant) , if liquid was infected blood or body fluid can I get infected with HIV or hepatitis? Can viruses go through latex gloves?

3. Incident 1 is more riskier than Incident 2. Because my bare hands touched the liquid via loosely knit cloth gloves? where in incident 2 I had latex gloves considering about this exposure

4. If the red particle was a blood clot, should it be dissolved in water? Does it look like fiber mesh?

Do I need to get tested or cosider taking PEP based on these incidents?

Thanks!

Edward W. Hook M.D.

27 months ago

Welcome to our Forum. Thanks for your questions. I'll be glad to comment. The events you describe were no risk events. HIV and hepatitis B (which you should have been vaccinated for) are blood borne viruses which can be transmitted the unprotected penetrative sex or needle sticks which inject infectious material deep into tissue. The are not transmitted through indirect contact such as when they are encountered on inanimate surfaces such as toilet seats, counter tops, door knows or in your case, while putting things into a dumpster. This was a no risk event. In addition to the facts that I've mentioned above, as you point out, you do not know that the material you encountered was blood and if it was, you do not know that it contained HIV or hepatitis virus. There is no reason for concern and no reason for testing. There is certainly no need for PEP. In response to your specific questions:

See above, no. In addition to what I said above, viral particles, in the unlikely circumstance that they were present would have stuck to the wool fibers. No risk, even if you had a scratch or cut.

Same answer as above except that the latex gloves are an even more effective barrier to passage of material through themselves to your skin

3. Incident 1 is more riskier than Incident 2. Because my bare hands touched the liquid via loosely knit cloth gloves? where in incident 2 I had latex gloves considering about this exposure

Both are no risk events

4. If the red particle was a blood clot, should it be dissolved in water? Does it look like fiber mesh?

Blood would have most likely dissolved in water

Do I need to get tested or consider taking PEP based on these incidents?

See above- no need for testing, no need for PEP.

I hope this information is helpful. EWH

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27 months ago

Thanks I have this new incident appreciate your answer.

I went to a furniture store, to collect a cupbord comes in cardboard box (box size similar 42 in tv). The warehouse person was wearing working gloves and only uncovered area was his forearms. I was wearing a short sleeve t shirt . Warehouse pesron slight the box down and lower it to me from the warehouse deck. I grabbed it from sides and lower it to my forearms. Once I loaded it in to my vehicle I saw some of the skin scraped off from my forearm skin. I couldnt see blood but the area was little reddish. Then I rub the area with sanatizer but did not feel any sting.

There was a tiny red mark,like a tiny bug bite on the area where skin got scraped off and next day it turned brown.

1.If warehouse worker is infected can I get hiv from this incident?

2.What is the risk of me getting infected with hiv if the warehouse worker got scratched from the same edge of the cardboard box, before 2-3 seconds,it scratched my forearm?

3.What is the risk if warehouse worker got a cut from the box and his blood was on the cardboard box before it brushed off skin on my forearm?

4.What is the risk if I bleed a little?

5.Do I need Pep or hiv testing based on this situation?

I went back to the warehouse and asked the warehouse worker if he got any cuts from the cardboard box at the time he was passing it to me , He said he didn't got any cuts..

Edward W. Hook M.D.

27 months ago

HIV is harder to get than you think. It is acquired ONLY through direct, unprotected sexual contact or injection of infectious material deep into tissue, even then, less than 1%, and often far less, depending on the type of exposure, result in infection. It is not acquired from contact with contaminated inanimate objects or through cuts and scapes. What you describe was a no risk exposure. Thus, in response to your questions:

1. No

2. Zero risk

3. Zero risk

4. Zero risk

5. Absolutely no scientific or medical need for PEP or testing

Please don’t worry. EWH

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