Re: Chicken Pox -- Viability???

[Guest guest]

I'm glad the subject of chicken pox has come up now. I've never had

the chicken pox and now have a friend who is suffering from shingles.

I know that it's possible for me to get chicken pox from her shingles

so I don't dare go near her. However, she works in my husband's

office and I have been volunteering there for the last couple of months.

My question is -- If the fluid from her blisters happens to get on a

desk or papers, etc., how long does the virus in that fluid remain

viable???

Is it safe for my hubby to bring papers from that office home for me

to work on?? Do we put the papers in " quarantine " for a certain

number of days?

This may sound silly, but I'm just really not willing to risk chicken

pox for the sake of some paperwork!! Can anyone give me difinitive,

scientific data on this??

-- Bless you, girl! Chicken pox is all you need to worry about

now! You're in my prayers.

Thanks!!

Carolyn B. in SC

[Guest guest]

Hi Carolyn;

From what I have read, the virus can survive on surfaces for " short

periods " :

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/msds-ftss/msds161e.html

" SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Virus can survive in secretions on inanimate

surfaces for short periods "

But the only study I've found on this is from 1984, where a known

quantity of the virus was placed on three surfaces (a coat, a washed

finger, and a stethoscope) for 30 min at room temperature, and then

the amount of virus that could be recovered from the surfaces was

determined:

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY, June 1984, p. 880-883 Vol. 19, No. 6

Factors Influencing Quantitative Isolation of Varicella-Zoster Virus

MYRON J. LEVIN, SYLVIA LEVENTHAL, AND HELEN A. MASTERS

http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/19/6/880.pdf

" The capacity of VZV to persist on environmental surfaces was

investigated by placing a known quantity of VZV on clinically

relevant surfaces (Table 5). After 30 min at room temperature, a

minimum of 0.1 to 0.3% of the inoculum was recovered from the coat

material or from a washed finger, but 19% was recovered from the

stethoscope. "

I would guess that " quarantining " the papers for a day would not be

bad idea?

Sorry that's the best I can do in answering your question.

Best reagrds,

Dave R.

>

> My question is -- If the fluid from her blisters happens to get on a

> desk or papers, etc., how long does the virus in that fluid remain

> viable???

[Guest guest]

A thousand thanks, !!! I knew that if the info was out there,

you would track it down! I had searched for hours but couldn't find

the answer. We will definitely " quarantine " the paperwork for 24

hours. My hubby figures if he puts it in the car, with the blazing

hot weather we've been having, it should pretty well annihilate any

nasty chicken pox virus cells!

I don't think this can be said too often -- , your tireless work

on behalf of this group is extraordinary and you are very deeply

appreciated!! It doesn't seem to matter how silly or trivial we feel

a question or concern may be, you treat it with the same consideration

and compassion and make us feel that maybe we weren't too

extraordinarily panicky after all. Thank you! Thank you! Thank

you!!! You are a rare soul, indeed, upon this earth and I keep you

and your family ever in my prayers (and I know that I'm not alone in

that).

With highest regards,

Carolyn B. in SC