Earlier today, a bit of a panic spread across Ocean County social media circles when a local shopper posted a photo of what looked like a banana tainted with blood. The poster said that the banana was bought at a supermarket in Toms River. But, the explanation is likely much more benign.

Just a couple of months ago, stories started popping up online of people claiming to have bought bananas that had been injected with HIV infected blood.

Many of the stories included photos of bright red streaks running through the fruit. As more of these photos popped up, more people started to panic.

Thankfully, there have been no cases of actual HIV infected blood, or blood of any kind for that matter, being injected into bananas. In fact, even if this had been the case, medical experts remind us that the HIV virus would not be able to survive being injected into a fruit.

The likely explanation is that a natural fungus had grown inside of the individual bananas. Still unpleasant and you don't want to eat it, but not nearly as terrifying as diseased human blood.

So, no need to worry, tampered with bananas aren't spreading through Ocean County. If you see a banana with red streaks or spots, you'll want to throw it out, but no need to panic.

 

 

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