HIV survival in dried blood

Thanks for providing that bit of research. It's obvious that a normal drop of infected blood won't contain that high of a concentration. HIV injects its genome into the genome of its host, host cells. I'm assuming cell-free means free-flowing virus particles. Tissue-culture fluid is the extracellular fluid that holds cells of the tissue together.

Curious, why do you need to know this?

Thank you for the answer. The reason why I need to know is that because I had a risky exposure and because of window period I still did not test.

I am worried because my sister took my nail clipper and cut her nails. Time difference is 24 hours and while I was cutting I did not notice any blood, but I worry if there was some microscopic blood that human's eye cannot see.

Honestly, I did not understand anything from your answer. Could you interpret me these results. Can virus die within 24 hours in dry blood (I need to mention again that I did not see any blood - maybe only some microscopic).

Let's say hypothetically a positive person during the acute phase has 1,000,000 copies of virus per milliliter. Human's eye could see one milliliter of blood, right? Half of the milliliter would see again, I guess. But not sure will human's eye be able to see 1 micro-liter. I don't think so, but that is 1000 times less than milliliter, so there would be 1,000,000 / 1,000 = 1,000 copies per micro-liter. Of course, this is just guessing, but because am worried I hope you will understand.

I think this should die even if there was some invisible blood. I don't hold my nail clipper in some closed boxed or something like that. I hold in in the toilet normally.

What do you think? Thank you.

I see. That's definitely not enough to be worried about. You are not infected if this is the only incident.

When someone has HIV, they have free flowing virions circulating their blood, in addition they have HIV genetic material incorporated into infected cells - that's the way HIV penetrates the surveillance of the immune system. When someone has free-flowing virus particles in their blood, it's a bad sign and it suggests they are not healthy because it's not being controlled effectively.

The paragraph you provided stated words like 'cell-free' and 'tissue-culture fluid'. Blood is a tissue - in fact, it's connective tissue. Take away the red, white, and platelet cells, you have 'blood plasma'. When they write tissue-culture fluid, they are referring to free-flowing virus particles. Most people with HIV have it under control - they probably take drugs to control it. I'm assuming your sister (assuming she's infected), has it under control, and therefore chances aren't 1,000,000 copies of virus per milliliter.

Thank you for the answer. You did not understand me at all. My sister is well. She is okay. I had a very risk exposure and during the window period and when I prepre myself for test I will take the test. So I do not take any drugs.

The problem is she took my nail clipper just 24 hours after I did. I did not notice any blood. Only if there is something eye invisible. If we assume that I am positive and there was some enormous small quantity of the blood that is visible by microscope only or something like that, I just wonder would it die within 24 hours. That is the problem.

The resource above I copied said it dies within 1 - 3 days, but there was 10,000,000 copies per ml and if there is some invisible blood od nail clipper it would be 100 times less ml and 1,000,000 / 100 copies. I hope this makes sense.

Let me know what do you think.

Thank you

99% websites say YES (it dies) and many doctors as well, but I am not a doctor or biology expert so I do know anything.

I guess I read that incorrectly. Ok, so I'm assuming you think you might have accidentally infected your sister as a result of using your nail clipper, right? Anyway, the backend story doesn't matter. Will the virus survive if it's all dried up? It's possible depending on the centration of the virus in that droplet of blood. Given the virus' delicate nature, it's probably not going to survive for very long. The likelihood of your sister being infected as a result of using the nail clipper is next to nothing.

Have you been tested for it?

I have not still tested. I will do it in the next days. As I have said, I did not notice any blood so there could be something invisible to the human's eye and time difference between usage is 24 hours or maybe 23.

If in 1990s virus with 10,000,000 copies per ml (in lab) survived 1 to 3 days and today virus is weaker than 25 years I think it should die within few hours and there is no 10 million copies. That is only if we assume that there was some microscopic blood. Surely, virus cannot sie if it is in the needle or injection but that is not my case.

I am really worried because the test I will take. I had all symptoms and I wonder will there ever be a cure. I think these big pharma companies have not found it because their focus is on treatments which are more profitable. I think these infected people will get the cure if they earn 1 billion dollars and that is impossible.

Sometimes thinking you might have something will cause your brain to create these symptoms. Get tested.

In terms of the pharmaceutical companies keeping profits high - believe me, that's not true, nor will it ever be true. Every industry has its whistle blowers, and when you're targeting scientists and researchers, they're the worst whistler blowers. If what you're saying is true, we would have already heard about it.

Yes, I will make the test as soon as possible. Mostly, I agree that brain can create these symptoms but white tongue, lymph node and some red spots on the chest - not sure.

When we talk about pharmaceutical companies I know about Hepatitis C. There was no cure and now there is and that is really great, but I think HIV is quite different - only 35 million people is infected and most of them are not in developed countries. However, I trust universities like Harvard, Stanford and the others.

A white tongue suggests that your immune system is compromised. Lymph nodes bulging means that you have an infection taking place locally, and the red spots on the chest could mean anything.

Good example with Hep C. 35 million is relatively nothing compared to Hepatitis B - 240 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B. There are many battles to be fought and won. In time, all things will be curable.

And what's interesting white tongue appeared in three days after exposure and everyone is saying that's too early for HIV symptoms.

I am sure all things that are not curable today will be curable, and there will be some new diseases, but I hope that will happen in my lifetime.

I think more time is required. How do you think it happened?

I had a sex with sex worker. We used a condom but because of these symptoms I am afraid it was not actually protected.

Just after sex, during the night I had night sweats, fever, pain during urination. While I was walking to the hotel, wind was extremely so maybe I got fever from that or something like that. Anyway, in the morning I felt some pain while urinating. The second day diarrhea came. Diarrhea was maybe 7 times in 15-20 days and twice was in 15 minutes range.

Also, there were night sweats, repeating fever and even I had painless open sore which appeared 3rd day after exposure and last for 30 hours. Other symptoms include lymph node (exactly 14 says after exposure), 3-4 red spots on chest.

I lost some appetite and weight (however this can be from fear). And yes, there was some peeling skin - just once.

Not sure how this could shown so early. I guess that maybe I got UTI (fever, sweats), fungal infection (white tongue) and later other symptoms.

What do you think?

Well, what I would do is contact the sex worker because by not telling you her/his status, it's a crime.

The diarrhea could have come from food poisoning. I had food poisoning once that last 15 days - probably went to the toilet multiple times a day, I lost count.

The night sweats and the white tongue are symptoms of HIV infection, though I get night sweats when it's hot outside + using a heavy blanket. The white tongue is a symptom suggestin your immune system is in trouble because everyone has symbiotic fungus that grows on the tongue that our immune system keeps in check. The red spots you see could be coincidental.

My final suggestion would be to go get checked at a sex clinic, the tests takes five minutes and the results are instant and anonymous. It will answer a lot of questions, and if it comes up negative, go again in two weeks.

I hope you're fine