Dear MEL Topic Readers,
What mosquitoes are most attracted to in human body odor is revealed
In summer, you may spend more time outside or in nature where there are
one of the most unwanted insects, mosquitos. They bite you and leave itchy red
bumps. But in large areas of Africa and South Asia, parts of Central and South
America, and some Pacific islands, female mosquitoes might transmit Malaria
parasites, which cause one of the most devastating diseases to humans. Every
year, over 600,000 people died of Malaria. Also, mosquitoes spread other life-threatening
viruses like dengue fever, Zika, and Chikungunya. You might know that some
people attract more mosquitoes than others. And if we know what smells attract mosquitoes,
we might be able to develop more effective repellants or traps. So, some
researchers set up a screened facility to test which breath and body odor scents
attract the type of mosquitoes that could carry Malaria parasites, without
having the participants being bitten by the mosquitoes.
How did they do that and what did they find?
Enjoy reading the article and learning about the research that tried to
find mosquitoes’ preferred odors.
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