Poison ivy creates a horrible, itchy rash that oozes across your skin and makes you miserable. If you have poison ivy, you’ll notice others avoiding you like the plague. How contagious is poison ivy? Can you really catch it from someone else?
The oil (urushiol) from the poison ivy plant is, indeed, incredibly contagious. If that oil is still on your clothes or your skin or anything else, someone who touches it can get the rash too. Even if the oil is dried, it can still make your skin react. But once that oil is washed off, you are no longer contagious. No matter how bad your rash looks or spreads or oozes, the rash itself is not contagious. And it’s normal for the rash to keep spreading even days after your contact with the plant. This is a delayed reaction and does not mean it is any more contagious – it’s simply how your body reacts. It is normal for the rash to first appear twenty-four to forty-eight hours after contact with the plant oils. Scratching the blisters will not spread the rash. The fluid in the blisters is not contagious either. You cannot spread poison ivy from one part of your body to another through the rash.
However, even the dead plants can contain active oil for a long time and can give you a rash. Wearing clothing does not protect you because the oil can stick to clothes, which you may then come in contact with. The severity of the rash depends on the sensitivity of your skin and the concentration of the oil.
Leaves of three, let them be! Take precautions to avoid poison ivy plants in the first place if you really want to avoid this nasty rash.