Infection of insect cell lines by the HIV virus, an agent of AIDS, and a demonstration of insects of African origin infected by this virus

The etiological agent of AIDS known as HIV has been shown to bind on different insect cell lines including Drosophila, Mosquito, Ceratitis; and his DNA to be integrated in the cellular genome, but no expression of the viral genome was detected in those cells. None of the human lymphocytes markers is expressed at the surface of the insect cells. HIV proviral DNA has been also found in various insects from Central Africa (Zaïre and Central Africa Republic) but not similar insects from the Paris area. These data suggest that insects could be a reservoir or a vector for the AIDS virus.