A member asked:

Can poison ivy spread if i touch the blisters then touch another area of my skin?

6 doctors weighed in across 3 answers

Poison ivy doesn't: It usu takes 2-3 days for poison ivy to appear and 3 wks to evolve and clear. The antigen that causes the allergic reaction is called rhus. It is washed away the first time you bathe or rinse yourself after contact, which you should do asap, if you know you have been exposed. You should also wash the clothes you wore. It seems to spread but it's just other places that were touched, reacting later.

Answered 4/26/2019

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NO: Ivy dermatitis is an allergic reaction. Not a poison. Not an infection. The reaction is present only on areas exposed to the rhus sap. It is not spread by scratching. The fluid in the blisters is similar to what occurs after a burn from hot water. It often takes 3 weeks to react in all the exposed areas.

Answered 4/26/2019

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Poison Ivy: The reaction to poison ivy is called a delayed type hypersensitivity reaction, and can take anywhere from weeks (upon first exposure) to days (on repeated exposure) to manifest. The blisters or blister fluid is not contagious or allergic, merely your body's reaction to that allergen. Once you have bathed, or washed any materials that may have the sap or resin, you cannot spread the reaction.

Answered 5/22/2018

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