Why Can’t Mosquitoes Transmit HIV?
WouterAmong the many diseases mosquitoes are known to carry are yellow fever and malaria. There are also mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus. Mosquitoes have also been linked to the AIDS virus.
The question is, how does HIV get from one person to the next? While there are several methods to get the virus from one person to the next, the simplest way is by sharing blood. The mosquito doesn’t actually inject blood into anyone, but it does consume blood from an infected person and then passes it on to the next human bite.
A mosquito has a unique proboscis. There are two tubes in the proboscis. One tube is used to suck blood from the host and then another one is used to inject saliva into the host.
The mosquito does have a few other things it does. First, it’s got a big mouth. In fact, the mosquito’s mouth is bigger than the human mouth. Mosquitoes have six mouth parts. Some of the mouth parts are designed to pierce skin and some of them are used for sucking blood.
The mosquito’s saliva contains chemicals that help break down HIV. It also contains anticoagulants that help prevent blood clotting. The mosquito’s saliva also has a good luck factor. The mosquito will pass on its saliva to the next person it bites.
The mosquito’s gut is designed to break down blood and HIV. It also has enzymes that help with the digestion process.
