Transmission of HIV by human bite is extremely rare and occurs when there is severe trauma with extensive tissue damage.
Possible biting scenarios include:
- HIV positive person bites injured party: a significant exposure would require:
- Mucosal trauma to the mouth of the biter
- Severe trauma with extensive tissue damage to the victim
- HIV negative person bites known HIV positive person: significant exposure would require:
- Mucosal trauma to the mouth of the biter
- Significant bleeding from the victim into the mouth of the biter
If neither party is known to be HIV positive then a bite would not be considered a high-risk exposure.