What happens if you chew and swallow a gnat

When I was eating papaya, I felt something crunchy when I was chewing and the papaya I eat is usually soft cause I cut it up. I can't say for sure cause I didn't really look and sometimes I see gnats flying around my face and I think it's the type that bites people.

I am curious though...what happens if you chew a gnat or mosquito and swallow it...would you have to worry about getting sick? What about Hep C or HIV even?

It was probably a fruit fly. Fruit flies do not bite, and are not known to carry diseases. True gnats (also known as sand flies, midges, or "no-see-ums") are small biting insects that are very difficult to see when they are in fight, but you can feel them when they bite. These are the ones that are capable of carrying diseases.

If you were eating a papaya, then my guess is that it was a fruit fly. Papayas, plums, and mangoes are notorious for bringing fruit flies into the home. Fruit flies are not known to carry dangerous diseases. But even if it were a gnat, then the chances of catching a disease are slim to none. These insects most often spread pathogens into the blood stream through their bites. But HIV and Hep C are not known to be transmitted in this way by insects, because they are not capable of carrying enough of the pathogen. Other diseases such as malaria, however, can easily be transmitted through insect bites.

Also keep in mind that most humans mistakenly ingest several pounds of insects throughout the course of a life. So while bug bites can potentially be a cause for concern in some places, there is no need to panic if one flies down your throat.

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/aids…

Gnats do not carry HIV or Hep C.