Expert: Gorkey Gourab - 12/7/2011

Question
My previous question was
I have recently gone through a mail that HIV from dried infectious body fluid in unwarranted. Few month ago I  had picked up a panty of a woman which was kept in the same day under her other clothes. There I found dried vaginal secretion. Then rubbed the white stains with my fingers. There was a hair line cut (old) in the finger and fresh cuts on the other hand. If the dried vaginal fluids came in contact with those cuts can I get infected with hiv?


You have replied that dry body fluids cannot transmit HIV Virus. I have few questions.

Just before this incidence I had put my index finger where there was a fresh cut (Non Bleeding and 1 hour old) inside of a panty of a woman and immediately put my finger out which was used in the same day and put under her clothes. Then I went to bath for 5-7 minutes. When I came back & checked that panty there was absolutely dried vaginal secretion. When I put my index finger inside that panty there was no wet or moist sensation over the cut or anywhere my finger and I also could not found any type of wet vaginal secretion on or into my cut. Is there any risk of HIV transmission? I don’t know when that panty was kept. It may be 30 minutes before I put my finger or may be more than 5 hours. I had gone through a mail which tells that after exposure to HIV it will take 1-3 weeks to show its initial reactions. No later. After 4-5 weeks of rubbing that vaginal secretion I have sore throat, mild fever, and rash in my skin and the season was also changing, and after 7 weeks I have diarrhea ( Iwas taking Azithromycin for sore throat) and also oral thrush. . These signs are very common in every illness. These things also happened one year ago. Do I need a hiv test? I had also completed Anti Rabies vaccine in that period.
Please help me. An M.D. General Physician told me these are not related to ARS.

You have replied that I would also go with the M.D. you consulted regarding Acute Retroviral Syndrome (ARS). Also, I would request you to consult an M.D. regarding this issue for his/her expert opinion.

Does is mean there in no chance of getting infected with HIV?

Answer
Dear Somenath,

Welcome again.

Your first question regarding this issue was most likely on mid-May this year. Let us point out a few issues:

1. HIV is a very fragile virus, and it does not live outside receptor and in inanimate objects for long.
2. HIV does not transmit through dry objects
3. In your case, there is no chance of HIV transmission
4. While I requested you to consult a MD on this issue, it was about discussing the total scenario from an expert. Also, you could discuss all the signs and symptoms with him/her

You can relax. Since, more than six months have been past since the incident, you can get tested for HIV and get confirmatory result for mental relaxation.

Best regards,
Gorkey