
If another person comes in contact with the urushiol, he or she can develop poison ivy dermatitis. However, urushiol can be carried under fingernails and on clothes. Poison ivy dermatitis is not contagious and cannot be passed from person to person.
Ginkgo fruit and the skin of mangoes also contain urushiol and can produce symptoms similar to poison ivy dermatitis. By breathing in smoke when toxic plants are burned. By touching something that has urushiol on it, such as animal fur or garden tools. By touching the sap or rubbing against the leaves of the toxic plant at any time of year. There are several ways that you can be exposed to urushiol: When urushiol is exposed to air, it turns brown and then black plant leaves develop small black spots. Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac plants contain a compound called urushiol, which is a light, colorless oil that is found in the fruit, leaves, stem, roots, and sap of the plant. The severity of the reaction decreases with age, especially in people who have had mild reactions in the past. People of all ethnicities and skin types are at risk for developing poison ivy dermatitis. Poison ivy and poison oak are both found in the Ozarks however, poison sumac is not. Exposure to poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac cause more cases of allergic contact dermatitis than all other plant families combined.
Urgent Care Physician at MediServe Walk-In Clinicĭo you think you may have a rash caused by poison ivy? When the skin comes in direct contact with an irritating or allergy-causing substance, contact dermatitis can develop. Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine