Poison ivy can it spread from person to person

A poison ivy rash is the result of exposure to an oily resin known as urushiol. This sticky resin is present in the leaves, stems, and roots of the poison ivy plant. The same oil is also present in plants like poison oak and poison sumac.

When your skin comes in contact with this oil, you may experience a rash. The rash is itchy and usually causes redness and blistering. Sometimes the rash can take several days to develop. Find pictures of the rash here. However, there are some scenarios where a poison ivy rash can be spread.

These include:. A pet, such as a dog or cat, can encounter poison ivy leaves and the oils can stick on their fur. Just like animal fur, clothing fibers can transfer poison ivy oils. Even if you wear gloves to protect your hands from poison ivy while gardening or working outdoors, the poison ivy oils can spread to the tools. If you then touch the tools without cleaning them, you can get poison ivy. Some people who work outdoors must leave their jobs.

Others need to stop a favorite outdoor pastime because they develop such a severe allergic reaction. They never develop a rash. Some health conditions can cause a rash that looks similar to a poison ivy rash. These plants are poisonous year-round. Touching any part of these plants, including the roots, can cause a rash, even during the winter.

If your pet has brushed up against one of these plants, you can get the oil that causes the rash on your skin when you touch your pet. This could lead to a rash. To prevent getting a rash this way, bathe your pet anytime you suspect it has been near poisonous plants.

Good news: poison ivy rashes are not contagious. You will get a rash from poison ivy only if you come into contact with urushiol oil, which is the plant oil in poison ivy that triggers the rash. In addition, a poison ivy rash, even one with open blisters, won't spread to other areas of the body. The rash only occurs on parts of the body that were actually exposed to the plant oil. Poison ivy rashes can appear to spread if urushiol oil is trapped under your fingernails and you scratch an itch.

While you can't get a rash from coming from your spouse, you can get it from clothing or other items that have the plant oil on them. For example, the clothes your spouse was wearing that came into contact with the poison ivy plant. Poison ivy oil can cling to garden tools or even pet fur. The oil from poison ivy is known to linger. According to the FDA, it can stick around on surfaces, sometimes for years, until it is washed away using water or rubbing alcohol.

So be certain that all surfaces that are potentially contaminated are cleaned thoroughly to reduce your risk. The plants cause allergic contact dermatitis in most people who touch them. The first time you touch one of the plants, you may not get a rash. The next time you touch one of the plants, your body may react within 24 to 72 hours. But plant oils on skin and clothes can pass from one person to another and cause a rash.

The plants make an oil called urushiol. Urushiol gets on your skin if you touch the plants. These include garden tools, clothing, toys, and pet fur. You can also inhale it from smoke if the plants are burned. Urushiol can stay active on any surface for a year or more and still cause skin rash. Poison ivy, oak, and sumac rash is not contagious. But oil that remains on skin, clothes, or shoes can be spread to another person and cause a rash.

Work in job where you are around these plants. This includes farming, forestry, and firefighting. Symptoms can occur a bit differently in each person. The symptoms most often include a red, bumpy, itchy rash with fluid-filled blisters.