This is important

[mofoburrell]

A vampire sucks the blood of someone who's HIV+. Would the vampire develop AIDS? Would the vampire die? If not die, would the vampire get weakened or show any sort of symptoms?

Comments

[policraticus]

Vampires are the undead. The operative word there is DEAD.

[rgpick]

Vampires are immune to normal diseases so the HIV wouldn't have an effect on them.

[mofoburrell]

Are there any diseases for vampires? Maybe it could mutate into VIV.

[rgpick]

Unless you want to call their need to consume blood a disease, I don't think so.

[nextdrinksonme]

In True Blood, there's some form of Hep that affects vamps.

[khemlab]

The vampire could only develop AIDS if it had an immune system to begin with. Do vampires get colds, flus, tuberculosis, that kind of thing? A survey of recent literature points to "no." But does that mean the vampire lacks an immune system, or that its immune system is super-awesome? I would argue that the answer is irrelevant. No immune system, no AIDS. Super immune system, no AIDS.

But this leads to the more important question - what about subsequent feedings? Would the vampire, in addition to draining its victim of blood, also infect said victim with HIV? Are fang condoms even a possibility?

[raze__the_rose]

I highly doubt that a lack of immune system would lead to a lack of infection. Quite the opposite, I should think.

[khemlab]

While I appreciate your scientific and medical opinion, Dr. Rose, what exactly would the HIV virus attack if there was no immune system in the first place?

[raze__the_rose]

I wasn't referring to the HIV infection specifically. A mention was made of the flu, etc, and these would certainly wreak havok in a person who had no way to fight them off. But you're probably right that a person without T cells wouldn't get HIV...

[cat_the_knife]

In that scenario, I imagine the blood being of a quality level that's not particularly good. It might taste bad to the vampire or not give him as much energy as healthier blood... but no, he wouldn't get sick or show symptoms.

And LOL @ "totally not hypothetical".

[toppertje]

Assuming vampires have no immune system, or at least one that repairs the body quickly (they do seem to in True Blood), I think they would be alright.

Perhaps it would be comparable to food poisoning.