Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
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From: jfh@netcom.COM (Jack Hamilton)
Subject: Animals as HIV vectors
Message-ID: <1991May2.101743.27040@cs.ucla.edu>
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References: <1991Apr16.102945.5720@cs.ucla.edu> <1991Apr18.191410.10183@cs.ucla.edu> <1991Apr30.192751.19794@cs.ucla.edu>
Date: Thu, 2 May 1991 03:41:22 GMT
Approved: phil@wubios.wustl.edu 

In article <1991Apr30.192751.19794@cs.ucla.edu> bredy@alkp.serum.kodak.com 
(Dan Bredy (x37360)) writes:
>This is my first time posting to this group. I have a question which probably
>is not related to the subject heading, but nevertheless very important (IMHO).

I could ask why it's very important, but maybe I just have a dirty mind.  I
wonder if Jeff D (FWA) reads this newsgroup.

>Can animals carry the aids virus? For example, if an animal bites an HIV+
>person, can they transmit the virus?

I think they probability is very, very small.  First, biting is not a very
efficient way to transmit HIV.  Second, HIV doesn't reproduce in animals 
other than humans (that's one reason why testing drugs and vaccines
is so difficult - human subjects are needed), so the virus would have to be
left over from the first bite.  Third, the physical conditions inside a 
non-human host (temperature, pH, the host's own immune system) would 
probably kill off the original virus very quickly.

The odds are probably about the same as winning the California State
Lottery and being struck by lightning, at the same time.
-- 
Jack Hamilton         jfh@netcom.com         apple!netcom!jfh