Dr's. Can HIV be transmitted via the mosquito?

[johnriketes]

I am aware this subject has been done to death, maybe even on this site. Please forgive me if it has.

Posed this question to a young Dr, straight out of medical school. I was laughed at, for even suggesting the possibility. He/she was unable to provide proof that it can't be transmitted via the mosquito however, baring in mind the mosquito is armed with a hyperdermic.

I let the matter drop, not before reminding the young Dr., the human race is not that smart, as we are still unable to cure the common cold. Cure the cold and you will cure aids? If we don't know the cure, then do we really know all the avenues of transmission?

[Capetonian]

The answer I was given was that it is theoretically possible but highly unlikely, as the mosquito would have to ingest the blood of an HIV+ person and then almost immediately insert its proboscis into another person so that they can become cross infected.

The HIV virus only lives for an extremely short period outside the human body and it is not normal procedure for a mosquito, having inflated itself with blood from one person, to go directly to another.

Edit : HIV from Mosquitoes - Bug and HIV - Mosquito HIV Risk (http://aids.about.com/od/technicalquestions/f/bugrisk.htm)
.... answer ... no!

[johnriketes]

Thanks for the input.

Would you be happy to walk along a beach, in bare feet, knowing full well that a load of junkies had been shooting up on that patch, the previous day? Therefore risking an infected needle puncture in the foot.

[Bad medicine]

OK...an interesting theoretical argument, but not aviation-related.