i know its not about dogs

I don't know any preventatives except for a long sleeve shirt but if you think you got into IMMEDIATELY rub the contacted areas down with alchohol. This will sometimes lessen the effects of the of the plant. I am not allergic to it, although I think have an allergy for everything else, so thank God I don't really have to worry about it.
As a side note, my dad and I dug a trench for a water line when I was a kid and he was cleaning the trench out with a sharp shooter (shovel) and there were alot of roots sticking out of each side of the trench that we though nothing about. The next day it was abvious that the roots had poison ivy on them and since it had all freshly been cut with the roots it got my dad BAD. Went through his pants and all over his hands and since it was hot he was wiping the swet off his face and his face was covered in it and his eyes were swollen shut. Without a dought the worst case I have ever seen, he was layed up for several days.
Matt