Can Mosquitoes Carry AIDS?
AIDS is a disease that is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It affects the immune cells in the body. The virus latches onto a particular surface marker of CD4 cells, and is then passed on to other human T cells. It is also transmitted by sexual contact, and by using needles that have been contaminated with HIV. Approximately 1.6 million people die from HIV&AIDS every year. In addition, 300,000 Nigerians die from complications of the disease annually. Despite these grim statistics, there are still many people who believe that mosquitoes can transmit AIDS.
The idea that mosquitoes can transmit AIDS is based on the fact that they bite humans and collect blood. But that doesn’t mean they actually carry the virus.
The fact is that the mosquito’s gut is not the best place for HIV to grow. While the virus may survive for a short while in the mosquito’s stomach, it will be destroyed after a few days. And the amount of HIV that the mosquito can transfer is small. It is only about 1/100 of a milliliter of blood.
Other factors involved in the transmission of a virus include the length of time it takes for the virus to reach the salivary glands of an insect. Several studies have shown that the time it takes for the virus to reach the glands is actually the same as the time it takes for the virus to completely disappear. This means that it would be very difficult for a mosquito to pass along a sufficient amount of HIV to make an infection.