Can mosquitoes transmit HIV?

Mosquitoes can spread a range of infections, such as malaria and dengue fever, but they are not able to transmit HIV.

This is because:

• They lack the human T-cells needed in the body for the virus to replicate and survive, which means they cannot be infected with HIV.
• Even if a mosquito is exposed to HIV, they cannot pass it on because their bites inject saliva, rather than blood.
• For a mosquito to pass on HIV from person to person, it needs to be able to carry sufficient levels of the virus. A mosquito would have to give a lot of bites during the short period in which HIV survives in their body.

You can find out about how HIV is transmitted in another page on aidsmap.com.