Can poison ivy spread by contact?

Question

i have it on my hands and i'm just wondering if anywhere i touch (either my body or someone else's) will it spread from contact? its not oozing anything, its just the usual bumps but i've cleaned it and its been about a day since the apparent contact with the plant.

Answer 1

Yes.

There was an NCIS episode where someone comes into contact with poison ivy but, before he realises, has to take a leak against a tree....

Nasty....but very funny.....

Answer 2

No.  The rash itself and even the fluid that oozes from the blisters does not spread it.  Only the oil from the plant causes it.  Once you wash all the oil off your body (and anything else the plants have come into contact with) you shouldn't get anymore.  It's a myth that poison ivy spreads or is contagious.  Some of the reasons for this are: a) thinner skin tends to break out sooner than thicker skin, b) skin that gets a bigger dose of the oil generally will break out sooner, c) people may keep getting more oil on their skin because they don't properly wash contaminated items such as shoes, clothes and pets.

Answer 3

If I understand it correctly, it can only be spread within about the first half-hour after contact with the plant.  That's how long it takes the urushiol (the nasty oil that causes the itch) to bind to the chemicals in your skin.  That's also the amount of time you have to wash it off after exposure.  So basically, if you see the rash, it's too late to wash off, and it can't be spread through contact unless you've had multiple exposures.

Answer 4

lol thats ur case i touched posin ivy didn't do **** to me ahha