Poison Ivy: Vital parenting information from Eyewitness News

Poison Ivy plants are abundant in the area. But don't worry if you stumble upon it in the woods. You don't get an outbreak if you just touch the leaf.

Dr. Joe Matusic, MD/Pediatrician
You get it from the oil on the stick. So I see a lot of poison ivy in the winter, when kids don't realize they've rolled through poison ivy.

If you remember, "leaves of three, let them be", you'll be fine. Dr. Matusic has offers some more things to remember.

Dr. Joe Matusic, MD
It's not contagious. If you get poison ivy here, you're not gonna spread it by scratching. Unless oil is already on you, the oil is not from the plant its body fluid.

But you can track it in your house, tie your shoe, scratch your arm and get infected.

In any case, once you know you've been exposed, wash your entire body within two hours of going in the weeds, you're not going to break out. If it's been 2-6 hours after exposure go over the area with rubbing alcohol to neutralize the oil. After 6 hours of the exposure if you HAVEN'T done anything else, you're getting the poison ivy rash. It generally breaks out one to 3 days after exposure.

Dr. Joe Matusic, MD
So day one is heaviest exposure , three the least. It seems to spread but it doesn't.

The poison ivy rash can last for 14 to 21 days.