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Does STD Get Transmitted Through Contaminated Food?

Posted on Tue, 30 Dec 2014

Question: doctor,
yesterday i ordered a burger at home. AS SOON AS IT CAME HOME I HEAT IT MILDLY FOR 30 SECONDS BEFORE CONSUMING IT.
i checked the burger and i suspect that there was some semen in the burger mixed with mayonnaise.
i ate the whole burger anyway...now i m worried..i think the burger definitely had semen ...
what are the chances of getting HIV and HEPATITIS B AND HEPATITIS C??

Answered by Dr. Arun (33 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Nil possibility of Viral infections...

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I understand your concern.
I am Dr. Arun Tank, infectious diseases specialist, answering your query.

Location of IP address shows that you are the citizens of United States Of XXXXXXX I believe Pizza burger in country like US never contaminated with semen. Secondly it has very little possibility of contamination with virus like HIV, HbsAg and HCV.

You have heated up the burger for thirty seconds. The viruses are very sensitive to the heat so, possibly all the viruses has lost their viability.

Even if we assume that it has contaminated and contains the above mentioned virus then we haven't seen any case yet which got infection by oral route.

Saliva contains some inhibitory substance which prevents the replication of such virus.

Infections by such virus can be possible only when you have oral haemorrhage or oral injury.

Overall nil possibility of such infection via burger to you exist.

I will be happy to answer your further concern, you can ask me on bit.ly/DrArun.
Thank you.
Dr Arun Tank
Infectious diseases specialist.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Ashwin Bhandari

Follow up: Dr. Arun (29 minutes later)

i m not based in the united states. I live in XXXXXXX

Also i had cut my lip some one to two hours ago before this incident...i have a habit of chewing my lips...i have extremely minor cuts

PLEASE TAKE THE ABOVE TWO FACTORS INTO CONSIDERATION...and give me transmission possibilty of
1. Hepatitis C
2. Hepatitis B
3. HIV
4. Hpv
5. Herpes
6. Syphylis
7. HEPATITIS A ??

Answered by Dr. Arun (18 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Nil chance of infections..

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Thank you for replying and asking the query.

Viruses has very low heat tolerability as compared to bacteria. Syphilis also are very heat sensitive. As you have heated up the burger, all the virus had probably died.

So, the transmission possibilities are all nil.

1. Hepatitis C - nil
2. Hepatitis B - nil
3. HIV - nil
4. Hpv - nil
5. Herpes - nil
6. Syphylis - nil
7. HEPATITIS A - nil

If you have anything else to ask, you can ask me here or you can contact me on bit.ly/DrArun.

Thank you,
Dr Arun.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E

Follow up: Dr. Arun (5 hours later)

Doctor,

I m suffering from extremely dry nose.So yesterday at around 10 pm i was digging my nose trying to clean it.As my nose was extremely dry, it bled a lot . the insides of my nose(inside the nostrils was scratched and bleeding heavily).i cleaned my hands and went to sleep switching of the lights.At around 10.10 i felt a stinging pain on my index finger and i rubbed my index finger. My nose was still itching from the cleaning so immediately i put my finger in my nose and kept it for five to seven seconds.After switchin on the lights..i realized i had squashed a mosquito(fly) on my finger with its blood all over the finger and i had proceeded to put that bloody finger in my nose which had cuts.

Now i m worried..what are the chances of getting HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B if the mosquito had bitten someone with hepatitis B,C and Hiv?Also one more question...My mother happens to have two to three warts on her neck....she tried to break the warts but dint succeed...The followind day i touched the warts with my hands Four times, for four to five seconds each time.
I tried to be careful but still rubbed my eyes two to three times afterwards....
Now Will the warts on her neck give me warts on my fingers or eyelids or the places i touched with those fingers..what are the chances of HPV in the given Incident??
PLEASE EXPLAIN AND ALSO TELL ME THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION OF HPV IN THE INCIDENT??

Answered by Dr. Arun (24 hours later)

Brief Answer:
NO chance of infection by the mosquito and wart..

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Thank you for your query.

Mosquito never spread above mentioned infections. In fact this virus never survive in the body of mosquito. So by mosquito there is no chance of infection spread.

If the wart is bleeding than even you are at no risk of developing wart on single exposure. Persons acquire infections only once they expose repeatedly to the virus.

In many persons HPV infections never cause any symptoms, it remains silent or it may go away without even noticed by the patient.

I will be happy to answer your further concern.

Kindly know me here or you can ask me on bit.ly/DrArun

Thank you,
Dr Arun Tank

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Arun (55 minutes later)

PLEASE READ THE WART QUESTION ONCE AGAIN...I M WORRIED..WHATS THE RISK?
"My mother happens to have two to three warts on her neck....she tried to break the warts but dint succeed...The followind day i touched the warts with my hands Four times, for four to five seconds each time.
I tried to be careful but still rubbed my eyes two to three times afterwards....
Now Will the warts on her neck give me warts on my fingers or eyelids or the places i touched with those fingers..what are the chances of HPV in the given Incident??
PLEASE EXPLAIN AND ALSO TELL ME THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION OF HPV IN THE INCIDENT??/"

Answered by Dr. Arun (6 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Exact incidence cant be ascertain...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Please do not worry for such an incident.

As I mentioned in previous answer, infections can only possible on multiple exposure.

Exact incidence cant be ascertain, we can only say you that multiple exposure increases chance of disease.

The reason for not to provide you exact incidence: Any infection can be possible only when host, environment and organism three factors become favorable for infection. So if your immunity is good, you are living in good atmosphere and the organism is weak, disease never occurs in you. Contrary to it if you have weak immune system, your living atmosphere is dirty and organism is strong you surely get the disease.

You can get back for further clarification.

Thank you,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Arun (21 minutes later)

my immune system is strong and i live in a clean environment and it was a single exposure...
So i think i m good??

Answered by Dr. Arun (9 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Yes,Nil chance of HPV...

Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,

Thank you for your query.

As you describes you have strong immunity and clean atmosphere plus single exposure. There is nil chance of HPV in you.

You can ask me for further query.

Thank you,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju

Follow up: Dr. Arun (35 hours later)

And last question...
my friend has a common wart on his neck..she used a headphone and some seconds later i held the headphones with my hands for some minutes...
he had tried to remove the wart three days before this(it was bleeding)...
if some of the virus got on the headphone and transferred to my hand...

1. what are the chance of this common wart spreading in this incident and me acquiring it?

2.Can we acquire common wart through inanimate objects ??Also one more question....(my last risk situation)

I HAVE A HABIT OF CHEWING MY LIPS AND I CUT MY LIPS BADLY AT THAT TIME..and it bled a lot(heavily)
My driver cut his hands(PALMS) on a day at 9 pm.....but since i had back pain i couldnt drive...So he had to drive with his bloody hands...and his blood got on the steering wheel...
At around 11.15 pm...i had to go to a place...SO i drove not remembering the drivers blood on the steering...
I HAVE A HABIT OF CHEWING MY LIPS AND I CUT MY LIPS BADLY AT THAT TIME..and it bled a lot(heavily)
at around 11.20 i accidently touched my cut on the lip with my palm and the fingers(terrible mistake)...
What are the chances of STDS
1. Hepatitis C
2. Hepatitis B
3. HIV
4. Hpv
5. Herpes
6. Syphylis
7. HEPATITIS A

especially hepatitis C,hepatitis B,HIV??

Note:PLEASE DONT BRUSH MY QUESTIONS ASIDE AS ANXIETY.I JUST WANT TO CLEAR MY DOUBTS AND LEARN ABOUT STDS..AND ACCORDING TO ME I WAS HIGHLY AT RISK IN THE SITUATION DESCRIBED.I REQUEST YOU TO ANSWER ME WITH REASON AFTER READING BOTH MY QUESTIONS THOROUGHLY.THANK YOU!

Answered by Dr. Arun (13 hours later)

Brief Answer:
No chance of any infections....

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thank you for query.

I think you are more anxious with STD. I am answering your queries one by one.

1. As I mentioned you previously HPV spreads with multiple exposure not on a single exposure so head phone won’t transfer the HPV.

2. HPV not transfers with inanimate object because virus never survives on non living objects.

3. For your drivers incidence, as approximately two and half hour has passed when you touched the steering. The viruses you have mentioned in the question never survive for such a long period on steering. So there is no chance of any spread of infections.

4. If fresh bleeding is occurring on lips and you exposed to virus, than there is chance of infection.

Overall you are not at all risk of any infection.

Feel free to ask me any query.
Thank you
Dr Arun Tank

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju

Follow up: Dr. Arun (1 hour later)

"4. If fresh bleeding is occurring on lips and you exposed to virus, than there is chance of infection."

When i touched the lips with my fingers(AFTER THE FINGERS AND PALM HAD TOUCHED THE STEERING)...MY LIPS WERENT BLEEDING FRESH(INFACT THEY HAD STOPPED BLEEDING)....AND THE STEERING was TOUCHED ALMOST TWO HOURS AFTER IT WAS EXPOSED TO BLOOD..
IN SHORT.... CAR STEERING EXPOSED TO BLOOD...TWO HOURS LATER I TOUCH IT WITH MY FINGERS AND ACCIDENTLY TOUCH MY LIPS WHICH HAD CUTS BUT WERENT BLEEDING AT THAT TIME......
is THERE A RISK FOR
1. Hepatitis C
2. Hepatitis B
3. HIV
4. Hpv
5. Herpes
6. Syphylis
7. HEPATITIS A

especially hEPATITIS C , HEPATITIS B AND hIV?

pLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Answered by Dr. Arun (5 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Nil chance of infection...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

As you describe, you exposed two hours later and there is no fresh injury on lips, so the statement "If fresh bleeding is occurring on lips and you exposed to virus, than there is chance of infection" not applied to you at all. You allay fear for the infections.

There is no possibility of any viral infections which you have mentioned in the question.

You can ask me further queries if you have.

Thank you.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju

Follow up: Dr. Arun (3 hours later)

I dont exactly know what a fresh injury is...

i had cut my lips six hours prior to the incident(SAME DAY IN THE AFTERNOON)...
i STILL HAD THE CUT BUT IT WAS NOT BLEEDING.

dOES IT CHANGE ANYTHING?

PLEASE REPLY ASAP!

Answered by Dr. Arun (4 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Nil possibility of infection..

Detailed Answer:
Hi dear thank you for query.

No six hour prior injury is not a fresh injury. You can count it as an old injury. So though you have a cut, the blood clotted (Healing process is initiated) and it won't allow virus to enter into the body.

So you are not at risk of infection.

Allay the fear of infection, you are free from infections.

Thank you.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Ashwin Bhandari

Follow up: Dr. Arun (7 minutes later)

THANK YOU

Answered by Dr. Arun (6 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
You most welcome...

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

You are most welcome dear.

We wish you a best health further.

For any future query you can contact me on bit.ly/DrArun

If your query is resolved close the answer and rate me.

Thank you

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Ashwin Bhandari

Follow up: Dr. Arun (27 minutes later)

My last two queries...

1. The sharp edge of the kithchen knife touched my leg...it didnt bleed and it also did not puncture my skin...but it touched my leg...

2. A friend after coming from the toilet urinating ..did not wash his hand and touched my neck with his hand directly after coming from the toilet.....

what are the chances of
1. Hepatitis C
2. Hepatitis B
3. HIV
4. Hpv
5. Herpes
6. Syphylis
7. HEPATITIS A ?

let me know..last question!

Follow up: Dr. Arun (5 minutes later)

edited first question:

1. The sharp edge of the kithchen knife touched my leg...it didnt bleed and it also did not puncture my skin...but it touched my leg...
i checked ...maybe it did puncture my skin...but i coudnt see with naked eyes!Note:Note:please answer these two questions only..ignore the previous posts.

LET ME REPHRASE THE TWO QUESTIONS:
(PLEASE ANSWER ONLY THESE TWO QUESTIONS FORGET THE REST)

1. The sharp edge of the kithchen knife touched my leg...it didnt bleed and it also did not puncture my skin...but it touched my leg...
i checked ...maybe it did puncture my skin...but i coudnt see with naked eyes!
i also checked the kitchen knife dint have any visible blood on it...

2.What are the chance of getting infected WHEN INDIRECTLY SOME OF MY FRIENDS URINE NOT THROUGH TOUCH BUT WHEN HE SPRINKLED HIS URINE AND SOME DROPS OF IT FELL ON MY LEG....chances of std in both the cases!

1. Hepatitis C
2. Hepatitis B
3. HIV
4. Hpv
5. Herpes
6. Syphylis
7. HEPATITIS A ?

Answered by Dr. Arun (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
No chance of infections in any case..

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

I am answering all of your queries in short as follows. Note it includes all of your queries previous one as well as last one.

1. As knife only touches you and you have not seen any puncture on naked eye so, no possibility of infection.

2. After urinating if one touches you or urine directly sprinkles on intact skin, it never causes any infection as you do not have any cut on neck.

If you have further queries kindly ask me here.

Thank you,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Arun (44 minutes later)

the urine sprinkled on my leg...which has intact skin...
No infection even then?

Answered by Dr. Arun (5 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Intact skin never allow infection to enter in..

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Intact skin has property which never allow any pathogen to invade it.

So if urine fell on intact skin it never causes infection by above mentioned viruses.

You can ask me for further query here or you can contact me on bit.ly/DrArun.

Thank you,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Arun (1 hour later)

Absolutely the last question:
I ordered food at home and while opening the packed food...i cut myself by the aluminium foil package on my thumb...it bled heavily...
what are the chances of stds
especially hepatitis B hepatitis C and Hiv?
note: what if the person packing the food also cut himself at the same spot..
i m anxious.
please let me know the risk?the following
1. Hepatitis C
2. Hepatitis B
3. HIV
4. Hpv
5. Herpes
6. Syphylis
7. HEPATITIS A ?

This is my last risk situation!

THIS IS MY LAST RISK SITUATION...PLEASE LET ME KNOW THE RISK FOR EACH WITHOUT TAKING MY ANXIOUSNESS INTO ACCOUNT...
MY LAST RISK I KNOW OF!

NOTE
I CHECKED THE ALUMINIUM BOX AND THERE WASNT ANY VISIBLE BLOOD...JUST TO LET YOU KNOW!

This is my last question and my last risk...please naswer without taking any anxiety in account...and one more detail to add is that the box was the aluminium foil box which restaurants use to deliver ordered food home!

Answered by Dr. Arun (7 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Nil chance of infections...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

In some up of your all question, I am answering below very shortly.

As I mentioned earlier viruses can't survive on inanimate object for long period, so if the worker receive injury, aluminium foil can't sustain survival of the virus until you receive injury(also as you see there is no blood at on foil). So even in this case there is no chance of any of the infections to you.

You can ask for further query to me.

Thank you.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Arun (13 hours later)

"As I mentioned earlier viruses can't survive on inanimate object for long period, so if the worker receive injury, aluminium foil can't sustain survival of the virus until you receive injury"
the delievery boy must have delivered 15 minutes after the packaging...is that time enough for all virus to die?

Answered by Dr. Arun (12 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Nil chance of infection...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thank you for your query.

You are abnormally worried about various infections. Visiting a psychiatrist can help you solve all your infection related problems.

I answer you for all your queries in short as below.

As you mentioned there is no blood on aluminium foil, virus hardly survives on it without blood for fifteen minutes.

In short for all your above question the answer is, infection of any of the viruses is not possible.

You can ask me for further query here or you can contact me on bit.ly/DrArun.

Thank you,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju

Follow up: Dr. Arun (3 days later)

hey Doc,
i want to know if blood is stored in a glass bottle which is sealed...
For example if in a 500 ml glass bottle , 100 ml blood is stored and kept in the cupboard....what amount of time will the following virus survive provided it has hepatitis C , hepatitis B and HIV?

1. survival of HEPATITIS C?
2. survival of HIV?
3. survival of HEPATITIS B?

Answered by Dr. Arun (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Different virus has different period...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

There is no exact time line available for survival of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C virus. But they can survive for one week and four days respectively in dried blood. From this we can assume that it can be lived approx this period plus some times.

For HIV it is known that it can survive in blood syringe for four week. So that we can assume that it can survive for four week in the blood bottle.

You can ask me further query here.

Thank you,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Arun (1 hour later)

Ohk...there is this bottle of oil in my room...
there was oil in that bottle and i suspect someone mixed body fluids in that bottle..i have many cuts on my lips...i drink a teaspoon of that oil everyday...
i put the oil in my mouth and tasted something fishy so i spat out...thats the risk...
what is the risk of hiv if it had hiv infected body fluid or blood?

the bottle dint have nay oil left( so the fluids cant be diluted).....i believe the oil bottle was messed with at around 8 am in the morning...and i tatsted the body fluids approximately one hour later...so i m asking what are the chances of survival of hiv virus in a sealed container containing infected(hiv) body fluid?

Answered by Dr. Arun (13 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Same survival in body fluids as of blood, no survival in oil...

Detailed Answer:
Blood is one type of body fluid. So survival remains same in other body fluids for these viruses.

Oil does not have a same chemical composition as that of body fluids so viruses can’t survive in it for one hour.

You can ask me for further queries her or you can contact me on bit.ly/DrArun.

Thank you.

Note: Get personalized answers to your HIV related queries You can choose to talk face to face with your doctor. Book a Video Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju