• Question: Do animals get cancer and aids?

    Asked by pigeonandnibbler to Aime, Akshat, Diana, Gemma, Judith on 18 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Gemma Sharp

      Gemma Sharp answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      Animals can get cancer yes. Cats are prone to feline leukaemia, which is a virus that causes cancer of the blood cells. Tasmanian devils are actually under threat of extinction because of a nasty cancer they get that gives them tumours on their faces.

      Animals can’t get AIDS though. AIDs is caused by a virus called HIV which stands for HUMAN immunodeficiency virus. Chimps are the only animals that can catch HIV, but they don’t go on to develop AIDS.

    • Photo: Judith McCann

      Judith McCann answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      I’m not totally sure but aids comes from a virus which would mean it’s highly unlikely that other species can get it.

      Cancer is a mutation of cells which can happen in any kind of cells so probably could occur in other species.

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