Can mosquitoes spread SARS-CoV-2?
Zika, dengue, and West Nile are viruses that spread through bites by infected mosquitoes.
Because a number of viruses can be transmitted through mosquito bites, people may wonder if the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 can also circulate this way.
The answer is “no,” according to Dr. Daniel Markowski, technical advisor for the American Mosquito Control Association. “There is no evidence that mosquitoes can acquire and transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus”.
Could mosquitoes ever come to carry SARS-CoV-2?
Dr. Markowski continues, “I think it’s highly unlikely that mosquitoes could transmit the SAR-CoV-2 virus in the future. The number of mutations that would have to occur to allow this process, would make it statistically improbable. If there were evidence of this truly being possible, I think we would have seen it long ago with other viruses, such as influenza, polio, etc.”
Sources: American Mosquito Control Association, https://www.mosquito.org;
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/can-mosquitoes-spread-sars-cov-2-experts-weigh-in
