can poison ivy spread this way?

Question

my son's friend has poison ivy on his face and neck this is his third day with it, can they pass the base ball to each other ? can it spread this way?

Answer 1

Poison ivy only spreads while the oil is present on the skin. This ususally "wears off" within about 8 hours. SO, three days later is fine, nobody will "catch" poison ivy from him.

Answer 2

Some important information about poison ivy to keep in mind:
• A person can “get” poison ivy any time of year; all that is required is contact of
the skin with urushiol through touching, grabbing or stepping on roots and vines,
or coming in contact with a leaf which has been damaged so that the sap is
exposed.
• Some people are exquisitely sensitive to urushiol. “. . . [T]he amount on a pinhead
is sufficient to cause rashes in 500 sensitive people.” [Wayne’s World]
• Poison ivy can spread by touching the exposed skin and then touching another part
of the body, by petting the dog who has been romping in the plant, touching
clothes that have come in contact with it, and by breathing smoke because some
neighbor has unwittingly been burning it. Urushiol can last for years on garden
tools or unwashed clothing
• The blisters that may form on the skin as a reaction to poison ivy contain water
and lymph and no urushiol; therefore poison ivy can not spread through a broken
blister. Furthermore, poison ivy is not catching from one person to another unless
the sap (and thus the compound) transfers from one to the other.
• A person who has been in contact with poison ivy should wash right away, throw
their clothes into the washer and wash the dog. If this is done quickly, the reaction
might be mild, or with luck may not appear at all.
Diverse writers report authoritatively and variously that washing must be done
anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours after exposure. Clearly this is quite an
important discrepancy in advice. An on-line dermatology course cited research
that reported that “urushiol can be removed in significant amounts only if washed
off very early: “After 10 minutes, only 50% can be removed; after 15 minutes,
only 25%; after 30 minutes, only 10%; and after 60 minutes, none of it can be
removed.” [Botanical Dermatology]
• There is also mixed information about how to wash after exposure. Everyone says
to rinse thoroughly with water. Some say that the water should be cold, as warm
and hot water would only open pores and spread the urushiol faster; others say
water of any temperature is fine, and others prescribe warm water. Some writers
say to use soap, others say that soap only spreads the urushiol around as well as
washing off the protective waxy layer of the skin making it more permeable to
urushiol. Some say to use a solvent such as rubbing alcohol because urushiol is
more soluble in alcohol than in water, but . . . so is the protective layer of the skin.
Everyone agrees that rinsing must be prolonged, and cold water seems to be one of
everyone’s options. Personally, I don’t understand this advice, because urushiol is
insoluble in cold water. A better possibility might be to rinse with a solution of a
moderately strong base such as a detergent that has washing soda (sodium
carbonate) in it; urushiol is a weak acid and would be dissolve in moderately
strong bases.
• Washing that involves wiping or rubbing spreads the oil and may abrade the skin,
increasing the liklihood of a stronger reaction

Answer 3

Yeah, once you wash all the oil off your skin then you cannot give anyone else the rash. The fluid that oozes from blisters does not spread the rash or give it to anyone else. But you have to wash very well with lots of soap and water to remove the oil. Tiny amounts of urushiol can cause irritation in susceptible people.

Answer 4

No. A LOT of people will say it will spread this way but it's a myth. Once the oil has been washed off the boy is not contagious. The rash itself is Never contagious.

Answer 5

yeah. it has to do with the oils that are on the rash. your mom should buy some special cleanser for the rash and try to not touch communal items. but pretty much be smart about it and you wont get poison ivy.

Answer 6

no mami you can't get poison ivy by passing the a ball but you got to make sure that you son's friend is taking medicine that take it away but I think the boy is suppose to take a antibiotic

Answer 7

Only if you didn't wash the oil (urushiol) off his skin. This is what causes the skin to break out, and it can be passes from person to person and by clothing.

Answer 8

You know Mom, that's a good question,I've seen Ivy up close,I know enough to not say what Ivy will or won't do. In your situation, yes,the boy touching his face or neck with his hands, then throw the ball......Transfer, right there, check it out Mom,you'll have to stay close................................LATER......

Answer 9

Yes, if they have poision ivy in their hands, it can spread

Answer 10

Only if he scratches his face and/or neck while playing. If he starts to sweat he will rub the sweat off because it will start to itch and the poison will get on the ball.