These questions sounds stupid but important, Do lizards carry HIV ? If yes,can one get infected when contact is made with skin and blood of a lizard ? Lastly which animals apart from humans carry the HIV virus ?
please i need answers, just curious
Apes are blamed for starting it but Lizards not unless Lounge Lizards:-)
Scientists identified a type of chimpanzee in West Africa as the source of HIV infection in humans. They believe that the chimpanzee version of the immunodeficiency virus (called simian immunodeficiency virus or SIV) most likely was transmitted to humans and mutated into HIV when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and came into contact with their infected blood. Over decades, the virus slowly spread across Africa and later into other parts of the world.
The earliest known case of infection with HIV-1 in a human was detected in a blood sample collected in 1959 from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (How he became infected is not known.) Genetic analysis of this blood sample suggested that HIV-1 may have stemmed from a single virus in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
I have wondered a similar question my self.
I would think it is not likely for a reptile to contract HIV, or (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). I would be concerned more about other infections that are common in reptiles and can be passed to humans, such as salmonella.
I have read that monkeys can carry SIV, or (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) which is similar to HIV and may have "jumped species" to cause HIV in humans.
I have read that Mice and Humans have a similar immune system and mice have been implanted with the HIV virus and have contracted it and exhibited similar symptoms.
Household pets such as Dogs and Cats are not likely to contract or carry HIV, but again there are a plethorah of other infections that can be passed. I enjoy having pets, so I guess the possible risk is worth the joys of pet ownership for me, lol. Hope this helped. Matt