1UpQuark t1_j3pr6nb wrote on January 10, 2023 at 5:34 AM

Reply to comment by M-3X in How long does HIV remain infectious outside the body? by Terradubia

Not a lame question at all! It’s astute. Viruses differ in the amount of virions necessary to cause infection because the immune system sometimes does have the ability to fight a particular virus before you get symptoms.

In the case of HIV, HIV positive people on Prep or other drug therapy AND with a very very low titer have been shown to not transmit the virus to intimate partners.

Measles requires a very low amount of virus to cause illness while a fairly large dose of rhinovirus can be handled by the immune system without causing symptoms.

Viruses and our immune systems are fascinating and I could go on all day! Lol

1UpQuark t1_j3f8w3p wrote on January 8, 2023 at 3:32 AM

Reply to How long does HIV remain infectious outside the body? by Terradubia

In summary -HIV can survive on surfaces for extended periods, especially if associated with cells (blood, sperm). A consideration is how much HIV is present -low tiger or high titer. See This link is to a review (1991) of survival in various environments (including whole blood). (The link title is wrong but the link is good) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Syed-Sattar/publication16877227_Rotavirus_inactivation_by_chemical_disinfectants_and_antiseptics_used_in_hospitals/links/59df5783aca27258f7d77fb6/Rotavirus-inactivation-by-chemical-disinfectants-and-antiseptics-used-in-hospitals.pdf

This from a primary journal article: Journal of clinical microbiology 32 (2), 571-574, 1994 Cell-free and cell-associated human immunodeficiency virus cultures suspended in 10% serum remained infectious for several weeks at room temperature. The stability was further increased when cell-associated virus was suspended in neat serum. When dried onto a glass coverslip, virus remained infectious for several days, although cell-associated virus lost infectivity more rapidly than cell-free virus.

Happily-no evidence of transmission via a surface in non-healthcare related situations has been shown. A few cases of “mystery” transmission in healthcare settings were noted. Don’t forget-the dried material would have to contact mucosal membranes, open wounds, or genital mucosal linings if sufficient amount to causes infection.

Hope this helps.