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What Are The Chances Of Oral Herpes Transmission Through Shared Bottles?
There are no percentages that've been published for that data. Would be impossible to get accurate numbers for such a scenario. But suffice it to say that anybody with herpetic lesions on the face, lips, in the mouth, etc. which are active should not share their drinks, knives, forks, spoons, or soup bowls with others because there is clearly some risk. No kissing either! Plz click THANK YOU.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
So what is the likely hood i contracted when thks happened 40 days ago. I have had no symptoms just been insanly nervous about the situation. I have a wife and kid and have not kissed them since it happened. I dont know what to do. I was tested and am going to go back at 6 weeks and again 12 weeks if you recomend it. Please help
Brief Answer:
No firm percentage, however, at this point we can say LOW
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your question.
First of all, without knowing exactly what the sore is (cold vs. canker vs. something else) it is impossible to know the cause. Let's assume it's a "cold sore."
If you are correct and it is a "cold sore" then, the cause is known to be the Herpes virus and most of the time it turns out to be the Type I variety. Actually, the distinction between Type I and Type II is extremely artificial and misleads the general public...we won't get into that aspect of things since it doesn't ultimately change any outcome for you. Suffice it to say that a COLD SORE is caused by the Herpes Virus. Next---
As I said previously there is no NUMBER that can be given to answer the question of exact risk you are looking for given the situation of having sipped on potentially infected fluid. The only thing we can say is that up to this point you have not contracted any symptoms nor broken out in any lesions that you've reported. That doesn't mean that you don't have the Herpes virus in you. It means that you're not currently contagious.
That means that so long as YOU DON'T HAVE ANY COLD SORES you are free to live your life normally including kissing your wife and kids. However, if you break out with a cold sore (and remember that is not the same as a canker sore...look up the difference between those on the internet....they're pretty different looking from one another) THEN, and ONLY THEN, would you be considered contagious by way of any of the clear fluid that may be expressed from any of the vesicles within the area of the cold sore.
Therefore there is no reason for getting tested you don't have lesions. So long as you have no lesions anywhere in order to contaminate anybody with infected fluid from the sore....then, you are not contagious. Just having the virus in your body doesn't make you contagious rather having active lesions makes you contagious. Follow me?
So in point of fact, the chance of anybody getting infected with Herpes by your being in contact with them RIGHT NOW while you don't have any lesions is actually 0%. That's not to say that some time down the road you couldn't develop symptoms but EVEN IF YOU DID it is impossible to know whether or not you contracted the virus from this episode of sipping someone else's infected drink vs. having contacted it from someone else in the fast and just never having manifest anything until that point. Make sense?
Bottom line- if what you saw on this person's face/lips was a COLD SORE....so long as you have no lesions that could contact anybody you run a 0% chance of infecting anyone.
If on the other hand this thing you saw was NOT A COLD SORE...and turns out to have been a CANKER or APHTHOUS SORE then, guess what? You're STILL NOT CONTAGIOUS since we know it's not the Herpes virus responsible for those lesions and so that's that....most people don't want to kiss something with a cold sore just because of pain issues or what not...but they are NOT contagious to anybody.
So how does this sum up?
1. If the person had a cold sore and if you contracted the Herpes virus by drinking those sips from their glass there would be a very small chance in the first place that you were even infected. But even if you were- the fact, that you still have no lesions developing and it's been about a month or more means that you are not likely to break out as a result of that contact.
2. So long as you don't have any ACTIVE LESIONS in or around the face, nose, mouth then, your chance of contaminating anybody else by either kissing or casual contact is virtually ZERO.
3. If the sore is a CANKER SORE and not a COLD sore then, again that lesion itself is not of any concern in terms of passing it on to anybody else. We really don't know what the exact cause of canker sores are but they are not passed on.
4. In my opinion, I do not think that getting blood testing done is useful since the mere presence of the virus in your body DOES NOT MAKE YOUR CONTAGIOUS nor does it cause you to become contagious.
I'd appreciate the favor of a HIGH STAR RATING and some written feedback if your question has been satisfactorily answered.
Also CLOSING THE QUERY on your end will be most helpful and appreciated so that this transaction can be processed.
Don't forget that my webpage to keep me abreast as to how you are doing if you choose or if you ever have any other questions of a medical nature is:
bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi
This query required 56 minutes of physician directed time to read, analyze, and develop a response for envoy to the patient.
No firm percentage, however, at this point we can say LOW
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your question.
First of all, without knowing exactly what the sore is (cold vs. canker vs. something else) it is impossible to know the cause. Let's assume it's a "cold sore."
If you are correct and it is a "cold sore" then, the cause is known to be the Herpes virus and most of the time it turns out to be the Type I variety. Actually, the distinction between Type I and Type II is extremely artificial and misleads the general public...we won't get into that aspect of things since it doesn't ultimately change any outcome for you. Suffice it to say that a COLD SORE is caused by the Herpes Virus. Next---
As I said previously there is no NUMBER that can be given to answer the question of exact risk you are looking for given the situation of having sipped on potentially infected fluid. The only thing we can say is that up to this point you have not contracted any symptoms nor broken out in any lesions that you've reported. That doesn't mean that you don't have the Herpes virus in you. It means that you're not currently contagious.
That means that so long as YOU DON'T HAVE ANY COLD SORES you are free to live your life normally including kissing your wife and kids. However, if you break out with a cold sore (and remember that is not the same as a canker sore...look up the difference between those on the internet....they're pretty different looking from one another) THEN, and ONLY THEN, would you be considered contagious by way of any of the clear fluid that may be expressed from any of the vesicles within the area of the cold sore.
Therefore there is no reason for getting tested you don't have lesions. So long as you have no lesions anywhere in order to contaminate anybody with infected fluid from the sore....then, you are not contagious. Just having the virus in your body doesn't make you contagious rather having active lesions makes you contagious. Follow me?
So in point of fact, the chance of anybody getting infected with Herpes by your being in contact with them RIGHT NOW while you don't have any lesions is actually 0%. That's not to say that some time down the road you couldn't develop symptoms but EVEN IF YOU DID it is impossible to know whether or not you contracted the virus from this episode of sipping someone else's infected drink vs. having contacted it from someone else in the fast and just never having manifest anything until that point. Make sense?
Bottom line- if what you saw on this person's face/lips was a COLD SORE....so long as you have no lesions that could contact anybody you run a 0% chance of infecting anyone.
If on the other hand this thing you saw was NOT A COLD SORE...and turns out to have been a CANKER or APHTHOUS SORE then, guess what? You're STILL NOT CONTAGIOUS since we know it's not the Herpes virus responsible for those lesions and so that's that....most people don't want to kiss something with a cold sore just because of pain issues or what not...but they are NOT contagious to anybody.
So how does this sum up?
1. If the person had a cold sore and if you contracted the Herpes virus by drinking those sips from their glass there would be a very small chance in the first place that you were even infected. But even if you were- the fact, that you still have no lesions developing and it's been about a month or more means that you are not likely to break out as a result of that contact.
2. So long as you don't have any ACTIVE LESIONS in or around the face, nose, mouth then, your chance of contaminating anybody else by either kissing or casual contact is virtually ZERO.
3. If the sore is a CANKER SORE and not a COLD sore then, again that lesion itself is not of any concern in terms of passing it on to anybody else. We really don't know what the exact cause of canker sores are but they are not passed on.
4. In my opinion, I do not think that getting blood testing done is useful since the mere presence of the virus in your body DOES NOT MAKE YOUR CONTAGIOUS nor does it cause you to become contagious.
I'd appreciate the favor of a HIGH STAR RATING and some written feedback if your question has been satisfactorily answered.
Also CLOSING THE QUERY on your end will be most helpful and appreciated so that this transaction can be processed.
Don't forget that my webpage to keep me abreast as to how you are doing if you choose or if you ever have any other questions of a medical nature is:
bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi
This query required 56 minutes of physician directed time to read, analyze, and develop a response for envoy to the patient.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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