Because some people are “mosquito magnets”. It has to do with my smell

1518 readings

Researchers have found that some people produce certain odor-related chemicals that mosquitoes find attractive, according to theguardian.com.

A new study has found that some people are indeed “mosquito magnets” and most likely it has to do with their smell.

Researchers have found that people who are most attractive to mosquitoes produce many chemicals on their skin that have certain specific odors.

“If you’re making these chemicals, you’re going to take the hit at the picnic,” said study author Leslie Vosshall, a neurobiologist at Rockefeller University in New York.

The researchers designed an experiment that pits people’s smells against each other, explained study author Maria Elena De Obaldia. Their findings were published Tuesday in the journal Cell.

The experiment used the Aedes aegypti mosquito which spreads diseases such as yellow fever, Zika and dengue. Vosshall said he would expect similar results from other types but would need more research to confirm.

By testing the same people over several years, the study showed these large differences persist, said Matt DeGennaro, a neurogeneticist at Florida International University who was not involved in the research.

The researchers found a common factor: those who attracted mosquitoes had high levels of certain acids on their skin. These “fat molecules” are part of the skin’s natural moisture layer and people produce them in varying amounts, Vosshall said. The healthy bacteria that live on the skin eat these acids and produce part of our skin’s odor profile, she said.

You can’t get rid of these acids without harming your skin’s health as well, Vosshall said.

“Mosquitoes are resistant,” Vosshall said. “They have a lot of back-up plans so they can find us and bite us.”