Menu
Can Mosquitoes Transmit HIV or AIDS?
Mosquitoes are infamous worldwide for their ability to spread dangerous diseases. They are vectors for diseases that they contract by biting infected animals, which means that they harbor diseases in their bodies and pass them on to new hosts. This has made many wonder, what happens when a mosquito bites an HIV-positive person? Thankfully, mosquitoes cannot pass on HIV or AIDS. This is due to both the makeup of the virus and the biting process of the mosquito:
- Mosquitoes cannot actually become infected with HIV, they can only host the virus in their bodies temporarily.
- A mosquito’s proboscis uses two tubes: one to draw the host’s blood and the other to inject saliva into the host. Since HIV can’t reach the mosquito’s saliva, it cannot be passed on to a host.
- Mosquitoes aren’t capable of carrying enough of the virus to infect a human, even if they could pass it through their saliva.
Do Mosquitoes Transfer Blood When Biting?
Although mosquitoes take blood from us, they do not circulate it or give any back. This is due to the makeup of their two-tube proboscis. One tube fills the bite region with saliva while the other sucks up blood. HIV is transmitted through infected blood, so mosquitoes’ tube system prevents them from spreading the virus. Any HIV-positive blood that a mosquito injects will be processed by the digestive system, killing the virus and preventing its spread.
Do You Have a Mosquito Problem? We Can Help.
Click the button below to leave your information & we'll be in touch in an hour or less.
How Long Can HIV Last inside a Mosquito?
Mosquitoes digest blood that they draw from hosts in 1-2 days, and HIV-positive blood is no exception. HIV replicates inside humans by binding to T cells, but mosquitoes lack these special kinds of cells. As a mosquito goes about its regular digestive process, any HIV within the system is processed and eliminated.
Have Mosquitoes Ever Transmitted HIV To a Human?
You do not need to worry at all about contracting HIV from an infected mosquito. It is estimated that an individual would need to receive over 10 million bites from infected mosquitoes for even a single unit of the virus to be transmitted. When it comes to mosquitoes and diseases, it’s important to focus on the ones that they have been proven to spread.