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The hazard of infection from the shared communion cup
1Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, London, U.K.
Abstract:
Interest and concern that the shared communion cup may act as a vehicle for indirectly transmitting infectious disease was reawakened when the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was detected in the saliva of infected persons. Bacteriological experiments have shown that the occasional transmission of micro-organisms is unaffected by the alcoholic content of the wine, the constituent material of the cup or the practice of partially rotating it, but is appreciably reduced when a cloth is used to wipe the lip of the cup between communicants. Nevertheless, transmission does not necessarily imply inoculation or infection. Consideration of the epidemiology of micro-organisms that may be transmitted via saliva, particularly the herpes group of viruses, suggests that indirect transmission of infection is rare and in most instances a much greater opportunity exists for direct transmission by other means. There is substantial evidence that neither infection with hepatitis B virus nor HIV can be transmitted directly via saliva so that indirect transmission via inanimate objects is even less likely. No episode of disease attributable to the shared communion cup has ever been reported. Currently available data do not provide any support for suggesting that the practice of sharing a common communion cup should be abandoned because it might spread infection.
Insights
Sharing a communion cup rarely spreads infectious diseases. Studies show wiping the cup reduces germ transmission, but saliva-borne infections like HIV are unlikely to spread this way.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Microbiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Concerns exist regarding infectious disease transmission via shared communion cups, particularly after human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) detection in saliva.
- Historical and scientific interest in the role of shared rituals in disease propagation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the risk of infectious disease transmission through the shared communion cup.
- To assess the efficacy of different practices in mitigating potential transmission.
Main Methods:
- Bacteriological experiments to test micro-organism transmission under various conditions (wine alcohol content, cup material, rotation).
- Review of epidemiological data on saliva-transmitted pathogens, including herpes viruses, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and HIV.
- Analysis of historical reports of disease outbreaks linked to communion practices.
Main Results:
- Micro-organism transmission during communion is minimally affected by wine or cup material.
- Wiping the cup lip between uses significantly reduces, but does not eliminate, micro-organism transmission.
- Evidence suggests direct saliva transmission of HBV and HIV is unlikely, making indirect transmission via communion cups even less probable.
- No documented disease episodes attributed to the shared communion cup.
Conclusions:
- Current data do not support abandoning the shared communion cup due to infection risk.
- Indirect transmission of infections via the communion cup is considered rare.
- The risk of disease spread through shared communion practices is negligible compared to other transmission routes.
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