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Transmission through a toilet splash
By Joel E. Gallant, M.D., M.P.H. (11-Feb-2006)

I have an individual in India and I have an incident to narrate and questions to ask regarding HIV/HepB/STD infection?

I had gone to a Medical Diagnostics Lab to give a Urine sample for a routing test. When I went to the toilet to give the sample, I had an urgent urge to go for stool.

It was a Western Commode toilet. The toilet was OK in terms of cleaniness. Unable to bear the Urgent urge, I went for stools in a standing position on the commode (rather than sitting on the commode )

While going for Stools, due to the force of the stools falling in the commode basin, the water inside the commode splashed back and tocuhed my thighs and buttocks couple of times.
The Quantity of water touching my thighs and buttocks were significant.

I immediately washed my thighs and Buttocks with water. Also Immediately Went to a medical shop and got DETTOL (Antiseptic Germicidal) and rubbed my buttocks and thighs with that with cotton.

Two hours later at house also washed my anus, buttocks and thighs with Dettol mixed water and later with Soap.

A) Given this, are there any chances of transmission of HIV, Hep B, Hep A, Sexual Diseases like Chlamydia, Gonnorhea, Syphilis etc...

This is because, the people who normally come to diagnostics are normally patients and hence the toilet might have some disease carrying bodies in them. Please let me know

B) I do not know any significant cust/wounds on my buttocks and thighs, but still mere contact of the Commode water with the body or flushing the commode would result in any Transmission of diseases like HIV/Hep B or any STDS like Chlamydia, Gonnorhea, Syphilis etc...

C) Do i need to take ant test for this

I am very Worried and request you to answer me

regards

PP

Dear PP,
The normal approach to preventing disease in this situation is the "Crapper Maneuver," in which you squat on the commode, wearing your amtimicrobial protective food coverings, and then, immediately after expelling the stool, you jump as high as you can so that there will be no skin contact with the splashing water. (Check the ceiling height first!) Needless to say, timing this acrobatic maneuver can be challenging, not to mention damaging to the toilet or toilet seat. I recommend that you practice in the safety of your home so that you'll be proficient when you try it in a riskier toilet.

Failure to perform the maneuver properly can lead to big problems. There was the famous case of the unfortunate man who, upon completing a poorly executed Crapper maneuver, cracked the toilet seat, scraping his leg on the broken plastic and ending up with his cut and bleeding foot in the foul water. He lost his balance, fell forward and fractured his tibia, fibula, as well as his nose, ultimately losing consciousness. Fortunately, he did not acquire HIV from this mishap, but he did develop gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and a nasty E. coli infection, all involving the skin of his left ankle. In addition, he required several years of psychotherapy because of the humiliating scene involving paramedics and other users of the public toilet, not to mention the resulting publicity. (For further details on this alarming case, see the International Annals of Public Hygiene and Sanitation, 2001;32:203-212).

This is obviously a difficult maneuver for children, the elderly, or the infirm. Such individuals can purchase convenient, purse-sized bottles of "Fear-no-Splash" at most pharmacies or hardware stores. This mixture of turpentine, rubbing alcohol, and bleach, when added to the toilet water and toilet seat before defecation, essentially eliminates the risk of infection from public toilets, though it can lead to some nasty skin reactions, especially should it come into direct contact with the delicate anal mucosa through an unfortunately directed splash.

PP - I'm joking with you, of course. Do NOT attempt any of the things I've recommended here, PLEASE! Thank you for making my day, and for confirming that we in the US don't have the monopoly on idiocy.

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