The Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is an infectious disease, or rather a syndrome, a set of signs and symptoms
resulting from the growing weakness of the immune system during infection with Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the consequent inability of the immune system to resist the disease. A person newly infected with HIV (HIV-positive) is not patient: is a carrier of HIV or a HIV positive. He/she can live asymptomatic for many years (average 10). At this stage, the carrier has no signs of disease and he/she can live its normal life.
Only laboratory tests can demonstrate the presence of the infectious agent in the blood of the infected person. HIV can also be found in vaginal fluid, in semen, in pleural fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, in the amniotic fluid and breast milk. Therefore, if the infected person does not perform the tests in the asymptomatic stage of disease, can transmit it by sexual contact and sharing of remarkable objects (blades or needles). Infected women can still transmit HIV to their children before or during birth and lactation.
There is no doubt that people who share their intimacy with a person infected with this virus, are at risk of contracting the infection. Rather, it has emerged heated discussions and a great confusion in the general public about the possibility of HIV
transmission to people who have social contact with an infected person (at work, on public transports, in places of entertainment, in restaurants and canteens, etc.). However, the scientific community has no doubt. HIV is not found in sputum, in piss, in sweat, in the tears nor in the vomit of its carrier (provided that these body fluids are not contaminated by those who can contain and which were mentioned above). HIV is not transmitted by air, by coughing or sneezing, human or animal food, for domestic or wild animals or by bites of insects.
The big questions of the general public (excluding the scientific community) have been expressed in the form of simple questions that have generated heated discussions. If a HIV carriers contaminate the environment with their blood? And if they, when manipulating foods, at home, in industries or establishments where food crop and contaminate the food stands or themselves? They will not put at risk their families, other employees or customers of the companies where they work?
The answer is simply not. No, because, unlike the case where is housed within the cells of its host, in contact with the environment, HIV is fragile. At room temperature, the HIV "dies" slowly. It is destroyed at 55 ° C. It’s inactivated at low or high pH (pH of the stomach is very low, implying that the virus might be ingested with food, it is then destroyed). It is destroyed by common disinfectants - alcohol, bleach, etc. Do not replicate outside the host (the infected person).
Compliance with the rules leading to food security, which are a must for all, is sufficient to prevent contaminations. No need for additional rules for people infected by HIV. The HIV-positive should not be prevented from working with food or drink, or should have restricted access to telephones, machinery, office equipment, toilets or refectories.
There is no known risk of HIV transmission to other workers, customers or consumers of food handled by an HIV positive. An HIV-positive can handle food until the symptoms of disease - the stage of AIDS. At this stage, there is risk of transmission of several infections to the people who live closely with patients.
The transmission of the HIV for foods or drunk never was registered; therefore we can affirm that it does not constitute a risk.