The mosquitos inside a tennis-court-sized cage didn’t carry the malaria parasite and couldn’t get at the people sleeping in surrounding pods, but could smell them.
Mosquitos are universal biters, from Canada to Cambodia. In Ethiopia, they can be carriers of deadly diseases like malaria and Zika. However, not everyone is equally appealing to these pests. A groundbreaking trial in Zambia delved into why certain individuals are more attractive to mosquitoes than others. This research could pave the way for the development of new repellents that can mask the scents that attract mosquitoes, safeguarding children and the general population from both irritating and life-threatening bites.
The study involved volunteers sleeping in individual pods connected to a large mosquito enclosure housing Anopheles gambiae, the mosquitoes responsible for transmitting malaria.
In the study, infrared cameras monitored mosquito behavior and revealed that they were particularly drawn to individuals whose scents featured a higher concentration of airborne carboxylic acids and other compounds produced by skin bacteria, as explained by study co-author biologist Conor McMeniman.
The research was led by Diego Giraldo from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
These findings may lead to the development of more effective repellents, potentially using synthetic blends to attract mosquitoes into traps for population control purposes.
Comments
.
