How long is dried blood dangerous

Experimental work with HIV and HBV has established the stability of these viruses under various conditions. HBV has the potential to remain viable for prolonged periods in dried blood at ambient temperature, but because of the nature of a dried blood residue this is likely to pose a considerably lower risk than fresh, infected blood.

HCV has been found to survive and remain infective for up to 16 hours when dried down in chimpanzee plasma. Although the risk of transmitting infection is therefore reduced as the concentration of infectious virus drops over time, no assumptions about safety should be made when blood-soiled surfaces, equipment and clothing have not been decontaminated. The scale of any blood or body fluid contamination is important when considering how best to clean contaminated materials, and various approaches to cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation are described below.

• Thompson SC, Boughton CR, Dore GJ. 2003. Blood-borne viruses and their survival in the environment: is public concern about community needlestick exposures justified? Aust N Z J Public Health. 27(6):602-7.
• Kamili, S, Krawczynski, K et al. 2007. Infectivity of Hepatitis C Virus in Plasma After Drying and Storing at Room Temperature. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 28 (5):519-524.

Health and Safety Laboratory

I recently moved into a new apartment. On the carpet in one of the rooms there apears to be some dried blood. The apartment has been empty for several months and the carpet has been cleaned, but the stain still remains. Is this in any way infectious? Also, I recently had a repairman in in my apartment, while here, he cut his finger. As soon as he left, I thoughly cleaned any surfaces he may cleaned every place he may have touched with bleach. Is this sufficent enough to kill the virus? Is there to kill HIV? Is there any risk of being infected from any spots which I may have missed? I know that these questions sound paranoid, but if you would answer them it would put my mind at ease!!! Thank you

Answer

Hi. Thank you for your post.

Based on what you told me, you would be at little, if any, risk of HIV infection. This is because the HIV virus will NOT live outside the body for more than a few minutes. Also, once the body fluid that contains HIV (like blood) is dry, the virus will die. The virus cannot survive in a dry environment, and again, the virus cannot live outside the human body for more than a few minutes. So any blood that was there from the previous tenant would be safe from HIV infection.

Bleach will kill HIV and other infectious agents. However remember that bleach cannot be used on all surfaces. Cleaning with soap and water is sufficient since HIV will die on it's own outside the human body after only a few minutes, so you don't need to bleach everything.

Keep in mind that in order to become infected with HIV, the following requirements must be met:

You must be exposed to pre-cum, semen, vaginal secretions, blood, or breastmilk.

The virus must get directly into your bloodstream through some fresh cut, open sore, abrasion etc.

Transmission must go directly from 1 person to the other very quickly.....the virus does not survive more than a few minutes outside the body.

Since HIV dies outside the body so quickly, and since HIV did not have a direct access to your bloodstream, based on what you told me, you would not be considered at risk of infection.

If you have further questions, please e-mail me at "" or call me at 1-800-842-AIDS.

The world may be focused on preventing the spread of COVID-19 through infection control methods, but other threats deserve some attention: Bloodborne pathogens.

Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms in human blood and other body fluids that can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 

Bloodborne pathogens spread when blood or bodily fluids from an infected person enter another individual’s body. There are four main methods of contracting bloodborne pathogens: direct contact, indirect contact, respiratory droplet transmission, or vector-borne transmission.

Exposures to blood and other body fluids occur across a wide variety of occupations and industries as accidents can happen anywhere. Misconceptions of bloodborne pathogens can be dangerous to your health. That’s why we decided to bust the most common myths and set the record straight.

Myth: Bloodborne pathogens are only found in the blood.

Many people may mistakenly believe they are safe from bloodborne pathogens if there is no blood visibly present. However, bloodborne pathogens can still live on a surface in other bodily fluids containing hidden blood. Unfortunately, bodily fluids can be just as infectious as visible blood. Other potentially infectious body fluids include, but are not limited to, cerebrospinal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva, and any other body fluid visibly contaminated with blood.

Myth: Dried blood is no longer infectious.

Even dried blood can be dangerous as some bloodborne viruses can live and remain infectious for hours or days outside the body. For example, the Hepatitis B virus can live in dried blood for up to a week, and Hepatitis C can survive for up to four days.

Myth: You do not need to take precautions if the person appears healthy.

Theoretically, this is true. However, it is impossible to know for sure that a person is not carrying bloodborne pathogens unless you test their blood first. A seemingly healthy individual could be carrying a dangerous virus and show no symptoms. That is why the universal precaution method is to treat all blood and body fluids as infectious.

Myth: If you are wearing gloves, you do not need to wash your hands after cleaning up bodily fluids.

Many people believe gloves will protect the body from contamination. Gloves can often contain tiny pinholes that are not discernible to the human eye, so they could easily transfer bloodborne pathogens onto your skin. For this reason, you must thoroughly scrub your hands with both soap and water once you have removed the gloves or other clothing.

Antiseptic hand cleansers or antiseptic towelettes are examples of acceptable alternatives to running water. However, when alternate options are used, employees must wash their hands with soap and running water as soon as possible.

The Takeaway

There are many regulations in place to follow when handling blood or other potentially infectious bodily fluids. Never pick up contaminated materials by hand (even with gloves on), wash your hands after removing gloves, and always approach fresh and dried blood with extreme caution.

Made in America, for America

As hard as we try to prevent accidents, they can happen anywhere. No one understands the importance of workplace safety and preparedness more than us! That’s why Safetec of America makes preparedness easy with a cost-saving and convenient approach to protection with pre-packaged kits designed to help keep facilities in OSHA Standard Compliance (29 CFR 1910.1030 – Bloodborne Pathogens). 

Sources:

https://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/disease-types/bloodborne-diseases

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/1993-02-01-0

Blood is one of the most dangerous substances a person can come into contact with. Whether you stumble upon blood in public or have witnessed an accident or crime scene, it’s critical to exert caution when you approach blood of any kind.

Even if you know the person whose blood you have encountered, it’s critical to exercise extreme caution around the spilled liquid because it has the potential to carry infectious disease that can be transmitted to you.

Professionals who work at high-risk jobs in the medical field may already wear protective gloves and know the risks and take caution as they come around blood, but the general public is also at risk every day when they encounter unknown substances around them, so exerting caution at all times is vital.

Bloodborne pathogens are a risk you should never take the chance with.

Simply touching blood – even dried blood can be extremely dangerous. What appears to be “dry” blood may, in fact, have only been spilled hours before and therefore still have pathogens in it that are infectious. In the right environment, it could even still pass along diseases including HIV and more.

If you come into contact with dried blood at any time you’re the safest option is to approach it with caution – the same as you would a fresh blood encounter. Use protective gear, an agent such as bleach, to sanitize and always properly dispose of the medical waste in clearly marked and approved containers to prevent further public risk.

For those working in health care, any materials, including gowns, bandages and gauze, that come in contact with blood should be disposed of in red bags.

Stay up to date on medical waste regulations and news by subscribing to the Red Bags blog.

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