# Can herpes be transmitted when drinking from public water fountains?



## Night & Day (Jul 17, 2010)

So yesterday I was at the mall and I tried out this new burrito from Pollo Loco. It was really spicy so instead of spending $1.50 on a water bottle, I drank water from a water fountain. Suddenly today I have a sort of bump (not so sure if its a cold sore) on the inside of my lower lip and I'm trying not to freak out over it. Since it doesn't really look like the cold sores that I googled for herpes simplex virus type 1, I'm thinking maybe its a regular type of infection (dirty water? tasted normal though) or it just randomly appeared for what ever reason. I did forget to brush my teeth last night.* 

So I'm wondering if I should just wait some days to let it go away or go to a doctor and get it checked out...if you guys have any stories or know anything insightful please let me know.*


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## Eerie (Feb 9, 2011)

No. But you can have HSV1 (the type for cold sores) and not get one for years. That and it's estimated that 80% of the population has HSV1. Regardless of that, I don't think that the bump that you are describing is herpes, and if you are really freaking out about it go to a dr to have it swabbed.


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## DasPhillipBrau (Apr 2, 2010)

Not as far as I know, but I do know you can get a nasty infection, so if I were you i'd go to the doctor to get some antibiotics. not precisely for herpes, just to keep healthy.

btw...do you know what you just did? drinking from a water fountain is pretty much like asking someone to piss and shit in a glass of pigeon shit and then drink the glass.
its really not a wise thing to do, avoid drinking from fountains, you dont know the amount of shit that is getting onto you, even if it tastes like normal water.

and if that happened yesterday, I would also take some anti diarrheic meds if I were you, I dont mean to alarm you, its just as a precaution, I mean it when I said those things are really dirty


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## Decay153 (Dec 31, 2009)

Nobody is a fan of drinking fountains?
But they're super free and convenient...
They're rebelling against that super-filtered, corporate bottled water!

As for the OP, I doubt that would be possible, for what it's worth. Fountains are certainly not sanitary, but don't tend to breed lifelong diseases either.


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

Damn I drink from water fountains all the time because I'm just a thirsty dude. It's good to know I can't catch herpes, but I still feel like a dirty guy now. OP you have nothing to worry about, it's probably just an unlucky coincidence.


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## strawberryLola (Sep 19, 2010)

From my pre-nursing training days:

HSV-1, Herpes Simplex I is usually associated with oral infections. When a person with HSV-1 has an outbreak, they can spread it, but can also contract it from not having the immunity against it or genetic sensitivity to it.

If by any chance you are still young (under 20) and you frequently experiencing oral herpes (or for the first time) it is not unlikely that you will catch it. HSV-I is common amongst the gen population.

I used to get really bad HSV-1 as a pre-teen just from eating seafood. Now as an adult, I rarely ever get it. Anything that your body is sensitive to can also stimulate the infection as it may lay dormant until outbreak.

Abreva is great for symptom relief! Give it a try.


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