Bananas Injected with HIV-Infected Blood Worldwide: Fact Check

Story: 

Danger!! The scientists detected thousands of bananas that are injected with HIV AIDS Blood worldwide.

Other Versions

1. Danger! Doctors discovered thousands of bananas that are infected with AIDS. This is incredible! Be careful.

2. Alert: Bananas infected with AIDS in Mexico.

3. There are Bananas Infected With HIV Virus Selling in the Markets.

4. Check your foods!! People are injecting bananas with HIV positive blood!!! Could happen ANYWHERE!!!!!!

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Fact Check:

Online stories in many versions and languages, along with many pictures come with a danger alert saying scientists/doctors have discovered thousands of Bananas infected with AIDS Virus worldwide. Thankfully, they are not facts and explained here.

Bananas Injected with HIV-Infected Blood?

The pictures show bloody, redness formation inside bananas and warn that some mysterious people are injecting HIV infected blood into them. Some versions of the stories also use names of authentic health organizations like World Health Organization (WHO) and other related health officials, and that the incidents occurred in places like Nebraska, Mexico, Algeria and Brazil. But not to worry, the claims are not facts.

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It is a fact, stories about Bananas infection with HIV AIDS virus have been around for a long time, and they keep resurfacing on social media sites. But there are no credible media reports about any such findings. And as a matter of fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website CDC.gov states that a person would not become infected with HIV even if he consumed food containing HIV infected blood, because the virus does not live outside the body for long:

Can I get HIV from food?

You can’t get HIV from consuming food handled by an HIV-infected person. Even if the food contained small amounts of HIV-infected blood or semen, exposure to the air, heat from cooking, and stomach acid would destroy the virus.

Though it is very rare, HIV can be spread by eating food that has been pre-chewed by an HIV-infected person. The contamination occurs when infected blood from a caregiver’s mouth mixes with food while chewing. The only known cases are among infants.

The redness of the bananas seen in the pictures simply shows not very uncommon deformation that can occur due to some form of fungal rot, black mold or bacteria, and that’s because banana skin is very sensitive.

To Conclude

In short, the picture stories warning about bloody bananas infected with HIV AIDS virus are hoaxes and an old urban legend. Similar stories appeared in past about HIV infected blood in fruits like Oranges and Pine Apples. Bananas are good source of vitamins, minerals and also fiber, so do not hesitate to have them every day.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.