Can Mosquitoes Spread HIV/AIDS?

Whenever we discuss about HIV or Aids, we start thinking whether mosquitoes can transmit HIV, as it is transmitted through blood contamination. It makes us curious to know whether, can mosquitoes spread HIV/AIDS?

As with many mosquito borne diseases, we always wanted to question the role of mosquitoes in transmitting HIV virus or AIDS through mosquito bites. We will study the reasons why mosquitoes cannot transfer HIV or AIDS and will burst many myths around this.

Common Questions that that individuals ask themselves:

Can you get aids from mosquitoes?
Can mosquito bites transmit HIV?
Can you get HIV from a mosquito bite?
Can aids be transmitted through mosquito?
Can you catch HIV from mosquitoes?
Can mosquitoes carry HIV?

Understanding HIV and how it is spread

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks our body’s immune system. These HIV virus specifically targets the CD4 T-cells that are present in humans and are responsible for basic functioning of our immune system. When these T-cells are attacked the body’s ability to fight external entities is weakened and becomes more vulnerable to infections and diseases.

This condition is what we called as AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). This mainly happens when human body exchanges body fluids such as breast milk, blood, semen, and vaginal secretions, through one of many reasons listed below.

HIV spreads through following:

• Sexual contact: Making intimate sexual relation with an infected partner will exchange body fluids that will also transmit HIV virus from one to another.
• Blood transfusions: While donating or receiving blood in case of medical need or emergency, the blood from infected person may accidentally enter into another person’s body.
• Blood contamination: While getting blood transfusions or injections, a needle used with HIV infected patient can transfer HIV virus due to blood contamination. This can also happen when you use shaving blades, razors, or even knives or accidental contamination during accidents, etc.
• Mother to child transmission: It can be transmitted during pregnancy, child birth or during breastfeeding by a mother to the infant.

It should be noted that these transmissions of HIV virus is purely from human to human and differs with the mechanism of transmission of mosquito borne diseases.

Why mosquitoes cannot spread HIV/AIDS: Science behind it

Can mosquitoes transmit HIV virus?

Mosquitoes can spread vector borne diseases and this is possible only because the responsible organisms or viruses can live and multiply within the mosquito’s body. This is not the case with HIV and here are the reasons why mosquitoes cannot spread HIV or AIDS:

• HIV cannot survive and replicate in Mosquitoes: The HIV virus mainly targets the T-cells (immune cells) in humans. But these are incompatible with mosquito’s body and cannot live and replicate there. Mosquito’s body system and biology doesn’t support this HIV virus and even after biting the HIV infected person, the virus that had entered into the body of mosquito gets digested and cannot spread when the same mosquito bites another human.

• HIV cannot reach salivary glands of mosquitoes: The mosquitoes have a proboscis which acts like a needle, there are total 6 such needles. And one of these needles has two inner tubes. One to inject saliva and the other to suck blood. Therefore, the blood sucked from the HIV infected person enters the mosquito’s gut and from there it has to reach again to the salivary glands to enter into the body of any other person which mosquito will bite subsequently.
  
  The blood from the mosquito’s gut cannot reach the salivary glands as there is no such route and therefore the blood gets digested and become inactive within the mosquito’s body and no transfer of HIV virus takes place even when mosquito bites another person.

• Mosquitoes inject saliva instead of blood during mosquito bite: To prevent blood clotting during mosquito bites, the mosquitoes inject blood into the body of host. This mosquito saliva do not contain any virus even if they had bitten any HIV infected person before. This feeding pattern prevents the mosquitoes from becoming a vector to this deadly HIV virus.

HIV v/s Mosquito borne diseases

There are few differences in the mosquitos biological system and HIV virus ability and structure which prevents these mosquitoes from spreading HIV or AIDS.

• Pathogens of mosquito borne diseases: Mosquitoes can transfer parasites like plasmodium (responsible for malaria) and pathogens and viruses like West Nile virus, Zika virus, etc. These viruses are capable of surviving within the mosquito’s body and replicate and multiply there. This is not possible with the HIV virus. It cannot adapt to the mosquito’s biology and fails to survive.
• Compatibility with mosquito’s body: The diseases and viruses that mosquitoes can spread are capable of adapting, reproducing and migrating back to the salivary glands. This makes the mosquitoes capable to infect other individuals on subsequent mosquito bites.
• Transmission route: HIV virus is purely relied on human to human direct transfer. They do not get carried over through any medium or insect. While diseases like malaria, dengue etc. are capable of transferring via mosquitoes.

Can you contract HIV from mosquitoes if you accidentally swallow or squish them?

The HIV virus circulates at very low levels in the infected persons blood. In case if the infected blood reaches back to the salivary glands, the infection levels in the blood should be sufficiently high to infect others.

If a mosquito has to inject HIV virus into a human (which is not possible) than also it requires approx. 10 million bites to transfer one unit of HIV virus. And any HIV infected human do not carry more than 10 units of HIV virus.

Even if you accidentally swallow a mosquito or squish them with blood coming in contact with you, will not lead to HIV infection. This is mainly because the mosquito do not carry sufficient HIV positive blood to cause an infection.

Common Myths and Misconceptions regarding Mosquitoes transmitting HIV

Due to misinformation and hesitation to discuss the causes and reasons of HIV AIDS transmission, people were under wrong impression with many myths and misconceptions circulating through word of mouth. The most common myths regarding mosquitoes and HIV transmission are:

• Myth #1: A mosquito can carry HIV virus and infect others
  FACT: HIV virus cannot stay long in mosquito’s gut system and it cannot reach back to its salivary glands. Therefore transmission of HIV AIDS through mosquitoes is nearly impossible.
• Myth #2: Mosquitoes can inject infected blood and spread of HIV
  FACT: Mosquitoes are not capable of injecting blood, they can only inject saliva which do not contain any infected blood.
• Myth #3: Areas with high mosquito populations has higher rate of HIV transmissions
  FACT: There is no any relation between mosquito bites and spread of HIV AIDS. No study confirms any claims of areas with higher mosquito populations having higher rate of HIV infections.

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Conclusion

It is very clear now that mosquitoes cannot spread or transmit HIV AIDS. The transmission routes, mechanisms and pathogens/virus’ ability to adapt biology inside a mosquito’s body is totally different and prevents mosquitoes to carry HIV virus and transmit others. Various research and studies have confirmed that HIV transmission occurs through direct human interactions and not through mosquito bites.

To prevent yourself from mosquito bites and any diseases and health risks, you should rely on trustful sources instead of myths and misconceptions around HIV AIDS and mosquitoes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)