Which body odours are mosquitoes most attracted to?

Researchers revealed in a brand new examine that mosquitoes are interested in human physique odour attributable to a number of the acids that are present in cheese, milk, cream, and yoghurt.

The examine — revealed within the journal Present Biology, researchers from Johns Hopkins Malaria Analysis Institute and the College of Drugs collaborated with the Macha Analysis Belief in Zambia — checked out which human odours are extra interesting to mosquitoes.

The researchers used a cage and stuffed it with African malaria mosquitoes — not contaminated with malaria regardless of its title.

Six members of the examine slept within the tent from the place the members’ breath and physique scents have been pumped with the assistance of lengthy tubes the place mosquitoes have been caged.

In accordance with the findings of the examine, the mosquitoes have been most interested in airborne carboxylic acids, together with butyric acid, a compound current in “smelly” cheeses similar to Limburger.

As per the CNN report, whereas carboxylic acids attracted mosquitoes, the bugs appeared to be deterred by one other chemical referred to as eucalyptol, which may be present in vegetation. 

The researchers suspected that one pattern with a excessive eucalyptol focus may need been associated to the eating regimen of one of many members.

A co-author of the examine, Dr Edgar Simulundu stated that discovering a correlation between the chemical compounds current in numerous folks’s physique odours and the mosquitoes’ attraction to these scents was “very fascinating and thrilling.”

“This discovering opens up approaches for creating lures or repellents that can be utilized in traps to disrupt the host-seeking behaviour of mosquitoes, thereby controlling malaria vectors in areas the place the illness is endemic,” stated Simulundu.

Dr Leslie Vosshall, a neurobiologist and vp and chief scientific officer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute who was not concerned with the examine, was equally enthusiastic. “I believe it’s an excellent thrilling examine. It’s the primary time that an experiment of this kind has been executed at this scale outdoors the lab.”

She additionally famous that the brand new paper “offers us some actually good clues about what mosquitoes are utilizing to hunt us, and understanding what that’s, is crucial for us to give you the following steps.”