Since malaria is spread by mosquito's sucking blood from an infected person and then sucks blood from a non infected person - why can't this happen with aids as it is blood to blood contact?
2007-01-11 18:43:09 · 10 answers · asked by lukeee 3 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
From the start of the HIV epidemic there has been concern about HIV transmission from biting and bloodsucking insects, such as mosquitoes. However, studies conducted by the CDC and elsewhere have shown no evidence of HIV transmission from mosquitoes or any other insects - even in areas where there are many cases of AIDS and large populations of mosquitoes. Lack of such outbreaks, despite intense efforts to detect them, supports the conclusion that HIV is not transmitted by insects.
The results of experiments and observations of insect biting behavior indicate that when an insect bites a person, it does not inject its own or a previously bitten person's or animal's blood into the next person bitten. Rather, it injects saliva, which acts as a lubricant so the insect can feed efficiently. Diseases such as yellow fever and malaria are transmitted through the saliva of specific species of mosquitoes. However, HIV lives for only a short time inside an insect and, unlike organisms that are transmitted via insect bites, HIV does not reproduce (and does not survive) in insects. Thus, even if the virus enters a mosquito or another insect, the insect does not become infected and cannot transmit HIV to the next human it bites.
Malaria is caused by a parasite that is transmitted from person to person by the bite of an Anopheles mosquito. Anopheles bite during the nighttime and are present in almost all countries in the tropics and subtropics.
Hope this helps.
Rick the pharmacist
2007-01-11 18:50:32 · answer #1 · answered by Rickydotcom 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋
When mosquitos bite humans (or any animal for that matter) they inject some saliva. Malaria lives in that saliva and is transmitted. HIV is not in mosquito saliva, it is not transmitted. Mosquitos do not transmit blood from one human to another.
In theory, the only way mosquitoes could transmit HIV from human to human is if they bit an infected individual, acquired HIV on the outside of their stylet (sucking mouthparts), and then bit a healthy individual very shortly after that. But there are no recorded instances of this happening, and the way that mosquitoes feed it is not likely.
2007-01-12 14:47:41 · answer #2 · answered by floundering penguins 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Malaria can only survive in specific mosquitoes. Dengue fever, a virus, can only survive in specific mosquitoes. Yellow fever, can only survive in specific mosquitoes. This is because while the blood goes into the mosquito, the virus, bacteria, parasite has to find it's way into the mosquito's salivary glands. Not necessarily an easy task. So in order for the HIV virus to start using a mosquito to spread, it has to mutate to a point where it can survive in them and infect their salivary glands.
Having said that, I have read in various medical and scientific journals that there is some evidence that occasionally someone will get infected with HIV, with no known contact. With a few of these, it has been suggested that mosquitoes may have transferred the virus. So that process may already be taking place.
2007-01-12 02:50:57 · answer #3 · answered by whatotherway 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
This was looked into during the early years of HIV. HIV can not be spread by a mosquito because HIV can not survive in a mosquito. Even malaria can only be spread by certain types of mosquitoes.
2007-01-12 02:48:17 · answer #4 · answered by Janice M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but the mosquito's immune system cannot handle the amount of toxins that come along with AIDS. For some reason they have something which does not allow Malaria to affect them.
2007-01-12 02:46:30 · answer #5 · answered by DiVenanzo™ 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have thought of that myself
I have no idea!
Maybe it can & they are keeping it hush hush!!
I really have thought about it & it doesn't make sense that you can't because you can even catch it off of needles if the blood is faily fresh or something like that whats the difference with a mozzie
say the person next to you has aids & it bites him & then it bites you with fresh clean blood on it
maybe a mozzie doesn't bite for hrs after he has his fill maybe
& thats the reason maybe you cant catch it because just a tiny bite where it hasn't got any blood wont give you aids & like i said if it does fill up on blood it doesn't bite again for many hrs & then the germ is dead
who knows lol
2007-01-12 03:59:14 · answer #6 · answered by ausblue 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The blood has to be kept at a certain temperature. This inhibits mozzies from tranfering HIV/AIDS as they have a low body temp.
I should know, I live in the AIDS capitol of the world! no lies, some places the ratio is 1:3! gotta love South Africa...
2007-01-12 03:31:22 · answer #7 · answered by MaXiMuS 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not enough blood actually exchanged?
2007-01-12 02:46:53 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does.
2007-01-12 02:45:38 · answer #9 · answered by Dude 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
tiny condoms..
2007-01-12 02:46:10 · answer #10 · answered by snoogans 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋