Some people may have wondered why they are more often surrounded and bitten by mosquitoes, even though there are many other people around. The answer could be because there are factors that make it a favorite for mosquitoes, as revealed by a recent study.
In a report published in the journal Cell, researchers looked at the Zika and Dengue viruses that can alter a person’s odor to make it more attractive to mosquitoes. Researchers think this may be an attempt by the virus to encourage mosquitoes to spread disease.
Researchers from several laboratories in China, including the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Beijing’s Tsinghua University, found that odor molecules in the skin of mice with the dengue virus made them much more susceptible to mosquito bites. The molecule is called acetophenone.
“Infection by this mosquito-borne virus can change the smell of some people… making them more likely to be bitten,” commented mosquito neuroscientist Laura Duvall of Columbia University as quoted by Science.
The best way to prevent mosquito bites is to cover exposed skin surfaces, insect repellent, to mosquito nets. Researchers are currently continuing studies targeting the acetophenone molecule to prevent mosquito bites.
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