Newsgroups: sci.bio
Path: utzoo!rising
From: rising@utzoo.uucp (Jim Rising)
Subject: Mosquitos & AIDS
Message-ID: <1989Aug23.144136.27580@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 89 14:41:36 GMT

I discussed this argument with a colleague of mine who is an
entomologist.  He tells me that many mosquitos bite persons
frequently--and hence can (as we know) pass malaria, yellow
fever, etc.  Thus, if the AIDS virus could proliferate in a
mosquito it could be transmitted from person to person in the
insect's saliva.  He also said that there was no reason that
the virus couldn't be transmitted mechanically by the mosquito's
mouthparts (i.e. without proliferating in the insect).  Apparently,
several insect borne diseases are transmitted in this way (e.g.
Chagas disease).  

I have not been reading all of these posting carefully, so all of
this might have already been said.  If so, I apologize for the 
duplication.  Note also, please, that I am not saying that there is
any evidence that mosquitos do transmit AIDS that I know of, only 
that it does not seem impossible.

--Jim Rising

-- 
Name:     Jim Rising
Mail:     Dept. Zoology, Univ. Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada    M5S 1A1
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