Is thrombocytopenic purpura contagious?
Disease description:
My colleague's son was hospitalized on the third day of the Chinese New Year due to purpura. We are planning to visit him in the hospital now, but is purpura caused by thrombocytopenia contagious?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Liu Feng
Thrombocytopenic purpura is not contagious. It is an immune-mediated disease primarily caused by immune system dysfunction leading to a continuous decrease in platelets, which in turn causes symptoms such as skin and mucosal purpura. This disease does not spread through blood, skin, saliva, or other routes; therefore, normal contact with patients suffering from thrombocytopenic purpura is safe. However, it should be noted that some patients may have acute infectious diseases during the early stages of the illness, such as viral infections including Epstein-Barr virus or hepatitis virus. These viruses themselves may be contagious, but the contagiousness is not due to thrombocytopenic purpura itself. Therefore, when coming into contact with patients with thrombocytopenic purpura, there is no need to worry about transmission of the disease itself, but attention should be given to other possible infectious diseases the patient may have.
