ajs@hpfcla.UUCP (10/17/85)
What if AIDS had been spreadable by mosquitos? With its long incubation period we'd almost all have it by now. What if its virulence had been higher, so almost everyone exposed to it caught it? Those who get the full symptoms die quickly, certainly, painfully. Scary thoughts. There is some relief in finding that AIDS is not that easy to transmit, nor that easy to catch. What about the next "new disease"? In our crowded, interactive world, is something worse than AIDs -- possible? likely? inevitable? Alan "hope not" Silverstein
werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (10/22/85)
> What if AIDS had been spreadable by mosquitos? > > Alan "hope not" Silverstein This topic has already been covered on the net, but to rehash. In Africa, AIDS is almost unknown between the ages of 2 and puberty. If it were spread by mosquitoes, it would be much more prevalent among children and adolescents. After all, malaria is. This argues against mosquito spread. Two: of the 500+ uncomplicated needle sticks on record at the CDC done while blood has been taken from AIDS patients, none has progressed to AIDS or even (when tested) Antibody posivity. There are several cases complicated by other factors, but these are not analogous to Mosquito bites. The real AIDS epidemic now is Acquired INFORMATION deficiency syndrome. Craig Werner !philabs!aecom!werner "The end. 94. 95. The very, very, very end." -- Craig Werner !philabs!aecom!werner "The end. 94. 95. The very, very, very end."
ajs@hpfcla.UUCP (11/03/85)
>> What if AIDS had been spreadable by mosquitos? With its long incubation >> period we'd almost all have it by now. > [Several responses saying "where have you been? it's not a problem"] I knew AIDS wasn't carried by mosquitos when made the first posting. Let me restate the "what if": "What if another disease as nasty as AIDS comes along, which CAN be spread by mosquitos?". Do you think it's possible? Likely? Inevitable? (With five billion people on the planet and lots of international travel, why hasn't it already happened?) Alan Silverstein
brianm@bigtuna.UUCP (Brian Martin) (11/03/85)
In article <17400010@hpfcla.UUCP> ajs@hpfcla.UUCP writes: >What if AIDS had been spreadable by mosquitos? With its long incubation >period we'd almost all have it by now. This has been checked out by the CDC, and apparently there is no risk for transmission of HTLV-III via an insect vector. I'm not sure of the reference, but I think it's a recent issue of JAMA, in the "Leads from the MMWR" section. By the way, the virus is inactivated by high and low pH and by exposure to a temperature of 56 C for ten minutes. Most standard disinfectants (Lysol, Clorox) and halogenated hand soaps will also inactivate the virus. Brian Martin University of Hawaii School of Medicine UUCP: ..!{dual,ihnp4,vortex}!islenet!bigtuna!brianm
meister@linus.UUCP (Phillip W. Servita) (11/12/85)
In article <17400012@hpfcla.UUCP> ajs@hpfcla.UUCP writes: >I knew AIDS wasn't carried by mosquitos when made the first posting. >Let me restate the "what if": "What if another disease as nasty as AIDS >comes along, which CAN be spread by mosquitos?". > >Do you think it's possible? Likely? Inevitable? (With five billion >people on the planet and lots of international travel, why hasn't it >already happened?) > >Alan Silverstein I believe it was called "malaria". -phil -- ----------------------------------------------- "Of course the Nielsen ratings are accurate... We proved it in a taste test!" ----------------------------------------------- -the venn buddhist