This is a common myth. However there is no need to worry, as this is not possible for four reasons:
- HIV, unlike the malarial parasite cannot replicate itself within the mosquito’s body system. HIV is a human specific virus.
- The mosquito does not inject blood into the body of a person but draws blood from the person. So HIV infected blood cannot be infected into another. The mosquito cannot act as a flying syringe!
- The amount of blood in the mosquito’s proboscis (the elongated mouth of the mosquito) is too small to transmit the virus.
- Last, but the most important, if the mosquitoes were responsible for spreading the virus then HIV infection would be more widespread.
