Not everyone who is exposed or has been exposed to asbestos gets sick or gets mesothelioma cancer.
It all depends on how much exposure to asbestos you have been exposed too.
If you've only been exposed to a tiny amount of asbestos one time then you may not ever get mesothelioma cancer but if you were exposed to the asbestos daily and were breathing that asbestos in for days and years then you will likely get sick with mesothelioma cancer.
If you have been exposed to asbestos you need to see a doctor because if caught soon enough the mesothelioma can sometimes be cured.
But the longer you wait the less chance you have at survival.
If there is asbestos in your home or place of business you need to be very careful around it and always have a professional remove the asbestos safely.
Yes just a single exposure to asbestos can be harmful to your health.
However for most people being exposed to a small amount of asbestos a single time or a couple times is not harmful.
Although it may affect you years down the road.
I've accidentally breathed in some asbestos when in an attic working on an old vent pipe which I though was just cement around the pipe.
It turns out that when I moved the pipe around some asbestos dust came out into the air.
I didn't move it around too much but just enough to remove it and then replace it with a new non asbestos pipe.
When I brought it down from the attic my friend told me that it was actually asbestos.
I got tested later at the doctor and they said I was just fine but I could be affected by mesothelioma years down the road.
Now I am very careful and wear respirator masks when near anything I think is asbestos.
Mesothelioma from Asbestos exposure is a serious thing that can kill you.
If you've worked in any manufacturing or construction and were exposed to asbestos you should get tested and if you've contracted mesothelioma cancer then can and should get a mesothelioma lawyer who can win you a settlement for the mesothelioma that you came down with from exposure to asbestos.