« Go Back

I crushed a mosquito with my finger


Ok, a few days ago I crushed a mosquito with my finger (yuck) and I wonder if I'm at risk for HIV because the mosquito had a ton of blood in it and it hadn't bit me. It came from outside. I don't know if I'm at risk because I heard that mosquitos can suck up HIV+ blood but then it dies, but then I heard other sources claiming otherwise. I seriously don't know who to believe. After I crushed it, I used hand sanitiser on my hands to get rid of the blood and to clean my hands. Please help me solve my dilemma.


Hello and thank you for reaching out to the AIDS Vancouver Helpline!

It sounds like you are concerned about the likelihood of acquiring HIV from mosquitos.

When it comes to HIV it is important to remember that there needs to be a body fluid, an activity such as unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse and a direct access for the body to enter the bloodstream.

While it is relatively known that mosquitos can be carriers of various illnesses related to blood such as malaria, but in regard to HIV one would be at No Risk of acquiring HIV. Firstly, due to the blood-sucking mechanism that mosquitos have, saliva is injected into humans when a mosquito bites. Thus, the HIV positive blood that the mosquito may have ingested is not transmissible to other humans. Second, in the human body HIV binds to T-cells and begins to replicate. However, mosquitos do not carry T-cells in their body, which creates a situation where the virus cannot be stored and is completely broken down. These are some reasons why mosquitos are unable to effectively transmit HIV.

For more information on HIV you can visit HIV and AIDS Basics.


Chris, Helpline Volunteer

AIDS Vancouver Helpline/Online