Why some Mosquitoes are more attracted to Human Body Odor

What Makes Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?

Discover which mosquitoes are most attracted to your body odor and what you can do to prevent them from biting you.

A mosquito sucking Human Blood
Source: iStock

What actually draws mosquitoes to us?

Mosquitoes can be a real nuisance, especially during summer when we find ourselves swatting them away or dealing with itchy mosquito bites. But have you ever wondered what actually draws mosquitoes to us? In a recent scientific report published on Friday, researchers have made significant progress in pinpointing the specific chemicals in body odor that attract these pesky insects. To achieve this, they built a massive testing arena the size of an ice rink and introduced different scents from various individuals.

Why Mosquitoes Need Blood?

While mosquitoes are part of the fly family and primarily feed on nectar, the females require an extra protein meal when preparing to produce eggs. This is where blood comes into play. Unfortunately, mosquito bites can lead to serious consequences as these insects are known to transmit parasites and viruses. Among the most dangerous diseases transmitted by mosquitoes is malaria.

Example: Malaria (Mosquito as Carrier)

Malaria is a blood-borne disease caused by microscopic parasites that reside in red blood cells. When a mosquito bites an infected person, it sucks up both the parasite and the blood. The parasite then develops in the mosquito's stomach before migrating to its salivary glands. When the mosquito feeds on another human, the parasite is transferred through the mosquito's saliva into the host's skin. Malaria has been eradicated in the United States, thanks to measures such as window screens, air conditioning, and improved drainage systems. However, it remains a significant threat in many parts of the world, causing over 600,000 deaths each year, primarily in children under the age of 5 and pregnant women.

Research on Mosquitoes' Behavior to Scent or Perfume

A woman disinfecting herself from mosquitoes
Freepik

The study conducted by Dr. Conor McMeniman, an assistant professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, focused on the species of mosquito called Anopheles gambiae found in sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers partnered with Zambia's Macha Research Trust to create a naturalistic environment where they could study the behavior of African malaria mosquitoes. They aimed to observe the mosquitoes' scent preferences across different individuals, their ability to track scents over distances, and their most active hours between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Procedure:

To achieve their goals, the researchers constructed a large screened facility resembling a skating rink. Within this facility, six screened tents were set up for study participants to sleep in. Air from the tents, carrying the participants' breath and body odor scents, was pumped through tubes into the main facility. The researchers then presented hundreds of mosquitoes with a buffet of scents from the sleeping subjects, tracking their movement with infrared cameras. It's important to note that the mosquitoes used in the study were not infected with malaria, and they couldn't reach the sleeping humans.

Conclusion:

The findings confirmed what many of us may have suspected: Some individuals are more attractive to mosquitoes than others. Furthermore, chemical analyses of the air from the tents identified the specific substances responsible for attracting or repelling the mosquitoes. The research revealed that mosquitoes were most attracted to airborne carboxylic acids, including butyric acid, which is also present in strong-smelling cheeses like Limburger. Interestingly, these carboxylic acids are produced by bacteria on human skin and usually go unnoticed by us. On the other hand, the mosquitoes seemed to be deterred by a chemical called eucalyptol, commonly found in plants. The researchers suspected that one sample with a high eucalyptol concentration might have been related to the participant's diet.

Future Perspectives:

Dr. Edgar Simulundu, the scientific director of Zambia's Macha Research Trust, expressed excitement about the correlation found between different people's body odor chemicals and the mosquitoes' attraction. He emphasized that this discovery could pave the way for the development of lures or repellents that disrupt mosquitoes' host-seeking.

Keywords:

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