Mouth, skin tissue can spread HIV, Chinese scientists find
Outer skin layers still separate the mast cells from the as-yet incurable virus, which is why healthy people can’t get infected from a simple handshake or hug, team says
A type of cell commonly found in skin, mouth and gut tissue may be able to “capture” the HIV virus and introduce it to other cells where it can spread much more easily, according to a new study by Chinese scientists.
This mechanism for transmitting the disease suggests oral sex could be even riskier than was previously thought in terms of spreading this as-yet incurable disease, which can lead to AIDS.
Mast cells are found throughout the human body, especially under the surface of the skin, inside nerves, in the respiratory system, and in the digestive and urinary tracts.
“It doesn’t mean a healthy person can get infected from direct skin contact (with an HIV carrier) such as a hug or handshake,” said Wang, whose paper was published recently in the Journal of Virology.