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Can Mosquitoes Transmit HIV or AIDS?

Mosquitoes are notorious spreaders of disease. They are able to keep a disease that they’ve contracted in their system until they pass it on to a new animal. But what happens when a mosquito bites someone who has HIV? Luckily, mosquitoes are unable to transmit HIV or AIDS. This is due to both the makeup of the mosquito and of HIV itself:

  • Mosquitoes are unable to become infected with HIV, which makes them unable to transmit it.
  • A mosquito’s proboscis is made of two tubes: one that draws blood from its host and another that injects saliva into the host. Since no blood is injected into the host, HIV cannot be transmitted through the proboscis.
  • Even if a mosquito has HIV in its body when it bites a host, there would not be enough of the virus present to infect a human. HIV disappears in the mosquito after just a couple of days.
Can mosquitoes transmit HIV or AIDS in Iowa; Springer Professional Home Services

Do Mosquitoes Transmit Blood?

Although mosquitoes suck blood from us, they do not put any foreign blood back into your system. The structure of their proboscis ensures this. Made up of two tubes, the first puts saliva into the host while the other draws blood. This two-tube system prevents mosquitoes from transmitting HIV, which is passed through infected blood. 

How Long Does HIV Last in a Mosquito?

When a mosquito bites an HIV-positive person, the virus will be gone 1-2 days later, which is the time it takes for a mosquito to digest the blood. HIV is unable to replicate inside the mosquito’s digestive system, unlike humans, in which the virus binds to T-cells. Any HIV virus that makes it into the mosquito’s digestive system will be destroyed.

Have Mosquitoes Ever Transmitted HIV Before?

Simply put, you should not worry about mosquitoes ever transmitting HIV. Some researchers have estimated that a person would have to be bitten by 10 million mosquitoes that all carried the virus for even a single unit of HIV to be passed on. When it comes to disease prevention, it’s important to focus on the vector-borne diseases that mosquitoes are known to spread. If you would like help managing mosquitoes around your property, reach out to your local mosquito control experts.

Can Mosquitoes Transmit HIV or AIDS?

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