Blood on surfaces

[wo29]

Hello doctors. Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my question. I have a fear of being infected with hiv from blood on surfaces. Most recently, I am very nervous about an incident that happened to me the other day. I purchased a sandwich from a store and it was placed in a plastic shopping bag. After I got home and ate the sandwich I noticed red splotches all over the side of the bag. The red could very well have been ink, but I am very worried that it might have been blood. If it was blood and I touched it and the blood got in my mouth or in a cut on my hand is there any chance of an HIV infection? After thinking it was blood I rubbedthe bag  it to see if the red would come off with my finger. If some blood came off on my finger is that something I should be concerned about?

Lastly, can HIV be transmitted from surfaces that has HIV positive blood on it and then gets into a cut? I am working very hard to get over my anxiety over HIV and your answer will help me. Thank you again.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You are repeating what I jsut said as a question -yes, HIV dies on exposure to the environemnt!!!

No risk, even if you had cuts on your hands.  

You daughter is not at risk either.

Please no further "what if" or "could it" questions - no risk means that.  EWH

[wo29]

Thank you so much for the quick reply. On the community site they always state that once the HIV virus is exposed to air it becomes inactive and unable to infect immediately. Is this correct? So if I touched the blood on the bag when the cashier handed it to me and got it on me is that something to worry about?

Also, for #3 you said that touching infected substances does not transmit HIV, does this include if there were cuts on my hand?

I think my anxiety is back because I have 7 month old daughter and I was holding her in one hand and the bag in the other. If she happened to touch the "blood" and then put her hand in her mouth is there any chance she could she infected?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome back to the Forum.  In preparing to answer your question I reviewed your earlier interaction with Dr. Handsfield, as well as on our HIV Prevention Community and OCD sites.  This I know that this battle with anxiety over HIV exposure and for that resin I will provide the punch line first and emphatically, then list some of the reasons I have replied this way.  This was a no risk exposure.  There is no reason for concern and no reason for even considering testing related to it.  No for some of my reasons.

1.  You do not know that this red substance was HIV.  My guess is that it something from the sandwhich shop..
2.  HIV is a fragile virus which dies very quickly on exposure to the air and environment. the virus would have dies while you were traveling home to eat your sandwich.
3.  Ingestion of HIV, or touching infected substances does not transmit HIV.
4.  There has never been an HIV infection acquired through and exposure of the sort you describe.  Not ever.

Thus, I repeat, this was a no risk exposure.  There is no reason for concern and no reason for even considering testing related to it.  No for some of my reasons.

I hope my comments helpful.  EWH