Recent studies have shown that HCV can survive outside the body and still transmit infection for 16 hours, but not longer than 4 days.

Hepatitis A virus can live outside the body for months, depending on the environmental conditions. The virus is killed by heating to 185 degrees F (85 degrees C) for one minute. However, the virus can still be spread from cooked food if it is contaminated after cooking. Adequate chlorination of water, as recommended in the United States, kills hepatitis A virus that enters the water supply.

Who is a carrier of hepatitis B virus? Sometimes, people who are infected with HBV never recover fully from the infection; they carry the virus and can infect others for the rest of their lives. In the United States, about one million people carry HBV.

No sooner the body fluid containing the HIV virus starts to dry, 90% to 99% of the virus present becomes disabled upon drying. HIV does not survive very long outside the body.

If the blood is dry, the virus will be dead. If it is wet, a chance exists that it could still be active. The risk is very small, but rather be safe. Always try and use gloves when you are in a situation where you might be in contact with blood. HIV is very short lived on an inanimate surface. In wet fluid, consider infectious.

Scientists and medical authorities agree that HIV does not survive well outside the body, making the possibility of environmental transmission remote. Whilst HIV is found in varying concentrations or amounts in blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, saliva, and tears, to obtain data on the survival of HIV, laboratory studies have required the use of artificially high concentrations of laboratory-grown virus.

Head lice die from lack of food or moisture in about two days if dislodged from a head. They may not live this long if it is very cold or they had not fed before being dislodged. Being dislodged means almost certain death for a head louse so they will avoid this if at all possible. They don't wander on to furniture or clothes very often as this would result in the death of the louse in most cases.

Some research suggests that the virus can remain active in dried blood for up to 2 months. More recent research (with chimpanzee blood) has found that the virus will remain active for at between 16 hours and 4 days.

The HIV virus is very fragile outside the body, but it can live from several minutes to several hours on the surface of objects in the environment, depending on the situation and environmental factors. The potency of the virus outside the body diminishes over time, but the virus must get directly into the bloodstream to infect anyone. Most household cleaners such as soap, bleach or peroxide will kill it. When cleaning any blood spills, use universal precautions.

HIV does not survive for very long outside of the human body. HIV is unable to reproduce outside its living host, except under laboratory conditions. Therefore, it does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host.

Lice cannot survive for more than 48 hours away from a human scalp. Nits can survive for up to 10 days but need a blood meal from a human one-hour after hatching. For that reason human head lice cannot survive for long periods of time on animals, but animals can be the carrier of the lice. For instance, if two children are playing with a dog, the dog can 'transport' the louse from on child to another.

Information provided by Hypertufa Forum contributor GardenChicken:) Here in Calgary the average winter temperatures are generally several degrees below freezing. We have regular freeze/thaw cycles throughout winter and occasionally week-long col

The smallpox virus is fragile. In laboratory experiments, 90% of aerosolized smallpox virus dies within 24 hours; in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) light, this percentage would be even greater. If an aerosol release of smallpox occurs, 90% of virus matter will be inactivated or dissipated in about 24 hours. (added Nov 13, 2002)

Nicotine is processed very quickly- it will exit your body within a day of its consumption. However, this rapid metabolism also causes nicotine withdrawal symptoms to start the day you quit. Fortunately, these symptoms can be controlled with nicotine replacement therapy or will resolve on their own within a week.

Most ova probably survive about six to twelve hours after ovulation. However, for the purposes of contraception, you must count on a 24-hour survival period, plus an additional 24 hours in case there is a multiple ovulation.

Apart from the constant need for blood, regular blood donations are needed because blood has a short storage life. Whole blood and red cells can be stored for up to 21 – 42 days depending on the anticoagulant-preservative used. On the other hand, platelets only last from 3-5 days and fresh frozen plasma can be kept for 12 months.

Although HIV can survive outside the body for a few hours in certain bodily fluids, it cannot function when dry. The Virus cannot infect some one unless it enters the body.

Research shows that liquid zeolite stays in the body about five to seven hours before it is 100% eliminated. This is why directions state that it should be taken three or four times a day, in order to maintain adequate levels in the body.