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Until now, HIV / AIDS is still a problem in the world of health. In Indonesia alone, 640,000 people were living with HIV in 2018. Even though education about this disease has been carried out frequently, there are still many myths surrounding HIV / AIDS. One of them is the myth that mosquito bites can transmit the virus that causes HIV.
So, is that true? Check out the following explanation.
Can mosquito bites transmit HIV?
Source: Infectious Disease Advisor
HIV is a disease that attacks a person's immunity. The name of this disease comes from the abbreviation of the name of the virus that causes it, viz human immunodeficiency virus.
Specifically, HIV attacks one of the immune cells called CD4. When these cells are destroyed by HIV, it will be harder for the body to fight off infection.
Keep in mind, the normal CD4 cell count is in the range of 500 to 1400 cells per cubic millimeter. If the CD4 cell count falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter, the disease will progress to AIDS.
Apart from unprotected sexual intercourse, HIV can also be transmitted through blood. From this principle, an assumption arises that mosquitoes that have sucked the blood of people with HIV can transmit the disease to people who are bitten afterward.
In fact, mosquito bites cannot transmit the virus that causes HIV. The work of the trunk on a mosquito is not the same as a syringe.
The mosquito's trunk consists of two channels, one acts as a blood drawer, the other acts as an injection of saliva and an anticoagulant to prevent blood clots which will help the mosquito feeding to keep it smooth.
That means, when a mosquito bites a human, the mosquito will not inject blood but only inject its saliva.
In addition, HIV requires T cell receptors to be able to infect, multiply, and spread the virus. Meanwhile, mosquitoes do not have these receptors.
Instead of being infected, the virus that enters the mosquito's body will only be digested and broken down in the stomach.
Indeed, the virus can survive for a short time in a mosquito's body. However, even though the HIV virus is still there, the amount being carried is of course very small so that mosquitoes still cannot transmit the virus.
HIV transmission is not that easy, it takes transmission of the virus in large numbers for a person to become infected. In comparison, a person would have to be bitten by 10 million mosquitoes carrying the virus simultaneously to allow transmission.
Diseases that can be transmitted from mosquitoes
Mosquitoes cannot transmit HIV, but their bites should not be taken lightly. Mosquitoes are known to carry many viruses and parasites that can infect people.
The disease virus is equally deadly, in fact there are around millions of people who die every year around the world due to mosquito bites.
Different types of mosquitoes in different parts of the country can cause different diseases as well. Some of the diseases that are commonly transmitted include:
- Chikungunya
- Dengue fever
- Elephantiasis or elephantiasis
- EEE (eastern equine encephalitis)
- Yellow fever
- Malaria
- West Nile Virus
- Zika virus
- Japanese encephalitis
In some cases, mosquito bites can also cause allergic reactions such as swelling, skin lesions and shortness of breath. There are also those who experience allergic symptoms called anaphylaxis which are very serious and harmful to the body.
Therefore, you must still protect yourself to reduce the risk of getting bitten by mosquitoes by taking precautions such as changing the water in the tub or pot once a week and regularly trimming grass and vegetation.
Also use long sleeves and mosquito repellant when traveling to forests or areas that have a lot of plants.
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