The dictionary states the definition as âin a literal way or senseâ but adds that, informally, it can be âused for emphasis rather than being actually trueâ such as âwe were literally killing ourselves laughingâ. The definition was added in the September 2011 edition, but went unnoticed until this week.
Strictly speaking, it is not AIDS but HIV that spreads through blood, semen and from a mother to child. Mosquitoes cannot transmit HIV for two reasons. Firstly, when the mosquito bites with its probosis, it draws blood and injects saliva, which contains antiviral factors and immunoglobulins and hence cannot transmit HIV. The blood from one person is not injected into the mosquito's next victim.
Most people do not realize the deadly diseases that they may carry and the possible effects that commonly used repellants may have. There are three main diseases carried and transmitted by mosquitoes, they are: West Nile, Malaria, and Dengue. Although these diseases are more prevalent in tropical areas, there is still a high risk for the citizens of Alaska of contracting one of these deadly diseases.