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How well does HIV survive outside the body?
Scientists and medical authorities agree that HIV does not survive well outside
the body, making the possibility of environmental transmission remote. HIV is
found in varying concentrations or amounts in blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast
milk, saliva, and tears. To obtain data on the survival of HIV, laboratory studies
have required the use of artificially high concentrations of laboratory-grown virus.
Although these unnatural concentrations of HIV can be kept alive for days or
even weeks under precisely controlled and limited laboratory conditions, CDC
studies have shown that drying of even these high concentrations of HIV reduces
the amount of infectious virus by 90 to 99 percent within several hours. Since the
HIV concentrations used in laboratory studies are much higher than those
actually found in blood or other specimens, drying of HIV-infected human blood
or other body fluids reduces the theoretical risk of environmental transmission to
that which has been observed - essentially zero. Incorrect interpretations of
conclusions drawn from laboratory studies have in some instances caused
unnecessary alarm.
Results from laboratory studies should not be used to assess specific personal
risk of infection because (1) the amount of virus studied is not found in human
specimens or elsewhere in nature, and (2) no one has been identified as infected
with HIV due to contact with an environmental surface. Additionally, HIV is unable
to reproduce outside its living host (unlike many bacteria or fungi, which may do
so under suitable conditions), except under laboratory conditions; therefore, it
does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host.
Scientists and medical authorities agree that HIV does not survive well outside
the body, making the possibility of environmental transmission remote. HIV is
found in varying concentrations or amounts in blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast
milk, saliva, and tears. To obtain data on the survival of HIV, laboratory studies
have required the use of artificially high concentrations of laboratory-grown virus.
Although these unnatural concentrations of HIV can be kept alive for days or
even weeks under precisely controlled and limited laboratory conditions, CDC
studies have shown that drying of even these high concentrations of HIV reduces
the amount of infectious virus by 90 to 99 percent within several hours. Since the
HIV concentrations used in laboratory studies are much higher than those
actually found in blood or other specimens, drying of HIV-infected human blood
or other body fluids reduces the theoretical risk of environmental transmission to
that which has been observed - essentially zero. Incorrect interpretations of
conclusions drawn from laboratory studies have in some instances caused
unnecessary alarm.
Results from laboratory studies should not be used to assess specific personal
risk of infection because (1) the amount of virus studied is not found in human
specimens or elsewhere in nature, and (2) no one has been identified as infected
with HIV due to contact with an environmental surface. Additionally, HIV is unable
to reproduce outside its living host (unlike many bacteria or fungi, which may do
so under suitable conditions), except under laboratory conditions; therefore, it
does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host.
© 2007 Abesha Care Inc. All Right Reserved. office@abeshacare.org
| Content Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention |
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