# Is it possible to contract a disease through contact with my own fecal matter?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-contract-a-disease-through-contact-with-my-own-fecal-matter/748747>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 12, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-contract-a-disease-through-contact-with-my-own-fecal-matter/748747 "2016-03-12T16:25:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-contract-a-disease-through-contact-with-my-own-fecal-matter/748747/21 "2016-03-16T02:39:55Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Okay, but as long as I’m not showing any symptoms myself, is it still possible that I could have picked up a dormant disease and transmitted it to patients?

well, there’s the case of typhoid Mary, but the biggest problem was she refused to wash her hands.

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**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-contract-a-disease-through-contact-with-my-own-fecal-matter/748747/22 "2016-03-16T17:46:11Z")

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> [@cba321](#):
>
> Okay, but as long as I’m not showing any symptoms myself, is it still possible that I could have picked up a dormant disease and transmitted it to patients?

Anything is possible - even if you do wash your hands. Some people are so immune compromised, just someone breathing on them could kill them! (They need to live in a bubble.) With other people, you could cough and sneeze on them and nothing would happen (they have been exposed to everything under the sun.)

Anyway don’t worry about it, but from now on DO take basic sanitary precautions - wash hands as directed above.

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-contract-a-disease-through-contact-with-my-own-fecal-matter/748747/23 "2016-03-16T18:41:53Z")

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> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> If the OP washes his hands after going to the bathroom, and wipes thoroughly so no stains are left on his boxers, I don’t think he has anything to worry about.

Might want to reverse the order there! :eek:😛

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