Splash from a bathtub into an eye

[oxk7]

Hi,

My girlfriend (33 y.o.) was cleaning her bathtub, when something splashed into her eye.  She lives with a roommate and we don't know anything about her roommate's health or health-history.  We are concerned about any infection that may be absorbed through a mucous membrane.  For example, could Hepatitis B (or anything else of concern could transfer this way).  

With Hep-B, for example, I know that the virus can live outside of the body for "at least 7 days" and can transfer by "contact of infected blood or bodily fluids with a mucous membrane".  Her roommate was using the shower earlier that day.  I am worried about hypothetical scenarios - for example, if her roommate had a period that day, and a trace of her blood was present in that splash (or perhaps a trace of some other bodily fluid or anything else that can contain the infection was present in that splash).

Is Hepatitis-B - or any other pathogen of concern in this case?   My girlfriend washed her eye with water right after the incident, and with saline solution the following morning, but her eye continued to itch and feel irritated for a couple of days.  

Please advise if we should be concerned about transfer of any serious infection through this splash to the eye - Heb-B, Hep-C -- or anything else!  

If you believe there is some other more appropriate forum where this question can be addressed, please advise.  

Thank you for your advice!
O.

P.S.   If indeed we do need to worry about Hepatitis-B contamination, is a treatment with Hepatitis B immune globulin suggested?  She did receive regular Hepatitis-B vaccine some years ago, but I heard that in about 10% of the cases that vaccine is ineffective.  

[Edward W Hook, MD]

See above.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  In answering your question  I think it is important to differentiate between theoretical and practical risk.  I suppose there is some tiny (really tiny!!!) risk for her to have been exposed however, realistically there is no meaningful risk for infection.  There are several reasons I say this.  These include:

1.  There is little chance that your GF's roommate has HIV or either of the forms of hepatitis you mention.  Unless she is an I'VE drug user or has another risk factor, it is quite unlikely that she has any of these infections.

2.  Despite her thoughts about the splash, it is unlikely that the splash made it to her eye.  The involuntary blink reflex is amongst the fastest reflexes inhumans.  This effectively minimizes, if not eliminates, the risk of foreign material actually getting into the eye and is a great protective factor.

3.  Even if she were infected, and even if there was blood or genital secretions present, and even if the splash got to your GF's eye, the risk of infection would still be minuscule.   Tap water is directly toxic to viruses and with or without the presence of soap, there would not have been infectious virus present.

Based on all these considerations, you GF is at no meaningful risk for infection and does not need any intention or testing.  In fact, I suspect that she would've at greater risk from receipt of preventative therapy than from the exposure.  I would not worry.

EWH.