Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Cells, Microbes & Viruses => Topic started by: thedoc on 18/03/2014 10:30:01

Title: What are the infection risks from splashed body fluids?
Post by: thedoc on 18/03/2014 10:30:01

John Mccullagh asked the Naked Scientists:
   
1) - I have always questioned hygiene when males pee into trough type urinals, but recently read threads on toilets, spray, aeration etc and am a little bit happier as urine is considered as being sterile. Have to wonder though, if athletes and sports people are tested from urine samples? There must be traces of drugs/chemicals. So if someone pees into a trough beside a drug user, is this transmitted into me?

2) - I am an electrical engineer and appreciate how cells/atoms/molecules move and interact with nearby cells. So is there a danger?
Also as a hobby of mine is shooting/fishing, I am aware in nature that salmon can swim up waterfalls, so can bugs also swim up waterfalls from urinals?

3) - Just a different scenario but same principle? - If I was lying on the ground after being shot or stabbed ( example) and my blood was running out of me into a pool. Just say there was another person in a similar situation lying beside me? Lets say the other person was maybe infected or had a disease like HIV? If their blood pool joined, on the ground, with my blood puddle? Would any disease or infection, or any ailment be transmitted to me? Would this be similar to a blood transfusion? Most water based liquids conduct electricity, is this similar to to bloods and infection?

Hope to hear from you, love the website and forum.

On a personal note, I am employed as a Decontamination Engineer, electrical background, and test equipment efficacy in eradicating bugs.
Also as a hunter/shooter/engineer, just built a good ir night vision rig.

Look forward to your response,

John.

What do you think?

Title: Re: What are the infection risks from splashed body fluids?
Post by: RD on 18/03/2014 16:53:29

Quote from: thedoc on 18/03/2014 10:30:01

John Mccullagh asked the Naked Scientists:
   
 - If I was lying on the ground after being shot or stabbed ( example) and my blood was running out of me into a pool. Just say there was another person in a similar situation lying beside me? Lets say the other person was maybe infected or had a disease like HIV? If their blood pool joined, on the ground, with my blood puddle? Would any disease or infection, or any ailment be transmitted to me ?

So the question is not "how long is a piece of string" , but how long is a trail of blood [:)]

Intimate contact is usually required to transmit HIV ... http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/31/6/1494.full

If you were both stabbed with the same knife in rapid succession then that could transmit HIV infection (http://www.aidsmap.com/news/HIV-transmitted-during-a-knife-attack/page/1523935/),
 ( if your fellow stabee who has HIV was stabbed first ). 

If you are lying in a pool of your own blood then you have far more serious health problems than hypothetical risk of infection from your fellow victim.

Title: Re: What are the infection risks from splashed body fluids?
Post by: BigSilver on 22/03/2014 02:13:16

Thanks RD,
many good points but not answering my original questions;

and not "how long peice of string"  or indeed "what length a pool of blood" but if there is a pool of blood? then does this "pool" transmit to a pool of blood that comes into contact? I am aware of sterile aseptic handling techniques; but if it is involuntary -not concious - not aware -  what happens? Are we therefore infected?
I assume so. Please reply on this issue. Many public workers take safety for granted, but be aware, if dealing with blood or puke, you should have appropriate personal protective equipment, ie. whatever necessary to protect you.

Title: Re: What are the infection risks from splashed body fluids?
Post by: BigSilver on 22/03/2014 02:20:40

Also, if a fellow with HIV+ was stabbed, i assume the blood running from him is also hiv+, so the puddle of blood should be avoided.
If i was lying nearby with a wound, with a bleeding wound, Would I be infected if my puddle met the hiv+puddle?
or should I jump up and interrupt puddle to stay safe? ie:does blood contact transmit?

Title: Re: What are the infection risks from splashed body fluids?
Post by: BigSilver on 22/03/2014 02:36:44

......and to follow on to my original question? if such infection can be transmitted by contact of bodily fluid? What happens when a male is peeing into a urinal trough ? maybe 3or 4 guys pissing into same urinal trough?
During bladder evacuation the urine spray is mixed with other persons urine spray. This is contact.
Is it tranmitted? even if it not sprayed, it is mixed in the bottom of the trough but will have an air gap between ur cock and the urinal, but if there is a constant flow? is there transmission of bugs? If the guy beside you has a disease - can this be passed on if there is constant flow from penises?
In nature salmon can swim up waterfalls and in biology fluid contact can transmit disease.

So, as far as I know urine is a sterile evavuation, but as with any fluid, is contact with other bodily fluids contagious????

Title: Re: What are the infection risks from splashed body fluids?
Post by: BigSilver on 22/03/2014 02:55:04

and while I am at it lol - reguardless if a person is lying in a pool of blood- obviously would be quite serious, but even if not intentionally intimate, my original question is for external contact of bodily fluids being in continuous contact? I suspect fluid contact will transmit.Therefore dont pee in communal trough toilets and go into cubicle. Or am I being too scientific?