Thank you doctor,
This query is regarding the common myth that HIV infection cannot be passed via contaminated food items like fruit chat, salad, Pani puri, etc. Having HIV infected blood via a street vendor, restaurant waiter may not be visible to you.
CDC has also clarified that the HIV virus is very fragile gets inactivated when exposed to air, and stomach acid also kills it. It is generally said that the HIV virus does not survive long outside in the air, but it takes a few minutes, depending on the conditions. In this case, it is the winter season, and the temperature is around 10 degrees centigrade. So virus may be active for some duration, say a few minutes. You may please explain the survival time of the HIV virus concerning atmospheric condition and temperature.
A person taking cold salad (having carrot, beetroot, red onions, tomatoes, etc., where blood may not be separately distinct) have HIV infected blood from water in sufficient quantity in the salad but not visible, consumes it immediately after water cuts and serves to him. So there is no time gap.
The person eating this infected salad has very poor mouth hygiene, i.e., having large cuts, sores, bleeding gums inside his mouth. Now the fresh infected blood in salad interacts with blood coming in his mouth in bleeding gums, sores, etc., and makes it likely possible to reach in his bloodstream to cause HIV infection.
He might have some ulcers in his stomach track to further aggravate it, which is unknown. Although I am taking extreme situations, such may exist in real life. Please explain to me in detail the possibilities of passing HIV infection to the person eating that salad.
If yes, with what reasons, and if no, with what reasons. The query is because of OCD nature and so needs proper answer to get mental peace. What precautions should be taken by us while eating in dhabas, street chat vendors, etc.?