Ask the doctors.
Question I'm very allergic to poison ivy. My spouse currently has a nasty poison ivy rash that he got while trimming some bushes in our yard. I'm afraid I'm going to get a rash from it. Is it contagious?
Oh The excellent news: poison ivy rashes aren't contagious. You will only get a rash from poison ivy once you are available in contact with ursival oil, which is the plant oil in poison ivy that triggers the rash. Also, a poison ivy rash, even one with open blisters, is not going to spread to other parts of the body. The rash only occurs on the parts of the body that were actually exposed to the plant oil. If urushiol oil gets trapped under your nails and you have got an itchy rash, poison ivy rashes may appear. Although you don't get the rash out of your spouse, you'll be able to get it from clothes or other items which have plant oils on them. For example, the garments your spouse was wearing got here into contact with the poison ivy plant. Poison ivy oil may also persist with garden tools or pet fur. Poison ivy oil has been known for a very long time. According to the FDA, it could persist with surfaces, sometimes for years, until it's washed off with water or rubbing alcohol. So ensure all surfaces which might be potentially contaminated are thoroughly cleaned to reduce your risk.
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