Do the blisters cause the rash to spread?
No, the blisters do not spread the rash. The blisters from the poison ivy plant are the body’s natural allergic reaction to the urushiol antigen. Within 15 minutes of coming into contact with the urushiol, it binds to proteins in your skin. Scratching or oozing blister fluid cannot spread the antigen to other areas of the body or to other persons. New lesions that appear a few days after the primary lesions represent less sensitive areas or areas where less antigen was deposited, not spreading of the antigen.
No, the blisters do not spread the rash. The blisters from the poison ivy plant are the body’s natural allergic reaction to the urushiol antigen. Within 15 minutes of coming into contact with the urushiol, it binds to proteins in your skin. Scratching or oozing blister fluid cannot spread the antigen to other areas of the body or to other persons. New lesions that appear a few days after the primary lesions represent less sensitive areas or areas where less antigen was deposited, not spreading of the antigen. Once bound to cell membranes, urushiol is virtually impossible to wash off and attached to cell membranes, it becomes a “warning flag” that attracts patrolling T-cells and initiates a full-blown immune response.
