Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aecom!werner
From: werner@aecom.yu.edu (Craig Werner)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Mosquitos & AIDS
Summary: On Chagas disease
Message-ID: <2419@aecom.yu.edu>
Date: 25 Aug 89 05:36:38 GMT
References: <1989Aug23.144136.27580@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: Albert Einstein Coll. of Med., NY
Lines: 19

In article <1989Aug23.144136.27580@utzoo.uucp>, rising@utzoo.uucp (Jim Rising) writes:
> I discussed this argument with a colleague of mine who is an
> entomologist.  
> 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).  

	If I may correct this, Chagas disease is not spread to the
person by the mouthparts of the bug in question.  It is spread by
so-called posterior station.  After the bite, the insect, umm, defecates
in the wound, depositing parasites that have been concentrated during
passage in the insect digestive tract.  It's not mechanical transmission.
-- 
	        Craig Werner   (future MD/PhD, 4.5 years down, 2.5 to go)
	     werner@aecom.YU.EDU -- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
              (1935-14E Eastchester Rd., Bronx NY 10461, 212-931-2517)
            "Reading is sometimes an ingenius device for avoiding thought."