Scientists from Nijmegen are set to investigate what makes one person attractive to mosquitoes and not another at the upcoming Lowlands festival. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the taste of blood that determines mosquito preference, but rather the smell of sweat, according to mosquito expert Felix Hol.
To conduct their research, the scientists will bring thousands of live mosquitoes to the festival in Biddinghuizen in August. However, there is no need for test subjects to be bitten by the critters. The mosquitoes will be kept in cages and will not be released onto the festival grounds. Test subjects will be able to place their arm along a net that the mosquitoes cannot pass through. The researchers will observe whether the mosquitoes are attracted to the scent of the participants’ sweat and if they are preparing to bite.
Cameras will record the mosquitoes’ actions, while the test subjects will also complete a questionnaire about their recent activities, such as bathing, soap usage, diet, drug and alcohol consumption, and sexual activity. Additionally, the researchers will stroke the participants’ arms with a cotton swab to determine which substances are present on their skin and deduce which bacteria mosquitoes find attractive.
This year marks the seventh consecutive year that scientists have conducted research at the Lowlands festival. The advantage of working at a festival is the availability of a large group of test subjects. In addition to the festival research, Hol also conducts mosquito research in the laboratory in Nijmegen. The scientists offer the mosquitoes controlled substances commonly found in sweat to observe their reactions and gather more data for analysis.
A recent news report about the mosquito study led to various reactions on social media, with some commenters expressing concerns that genetically modified mosquitoes would be released uncontrolled on the festival crowd. However, Hol clarified that the mosquitoes remain in their cages throughout the study and that none of the mosquitoes used are genetically modified. The study focuses on tropical mosquitoes, which are known to transmit diseases such as malaria, Zika, and dengue. Understanding what attracts mosquitoes can help in the development of better insect repellents.
Hol hopes to have at least three hundred test subjects participate in the experiment at Lowlands. A scoreboard will keep track of which participant is most attractive to the mosquitoes. After the study, the mosquitoes will return to Nijmegen.
The research aims to shed light on why some individuals are more susceptible to mosquito bites than others, allowing people to better protect themselves against these pesky insects. By understanding the triggers for mosquito attraction, scientists can develop more effective methods of repelling them.
What factors are the researchers from Nijmegen planning to investigate in order to understand why some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others?
Researchers from Nijmegen are planning to investigate the factors that determine why some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others at the upcoming Lowlands festival. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the taste of blood that determines mosquito preference, but rather the smell of sweat, according to mosquito expert Felix Hol.
To conduct their study, the scientists will bring thousands of live mosquitoes to the festival in Biddinghuizen in August. However, participants will not be required to be bitten by the insects. The mosquitoes will be kept in cages and will not be released onto the festival grounds. Instead, participants will have the opportunity to place their arm along a net that the mosquitoes cannot penetrate. The researchers will then observe whether the mosquitoes are attracted to the participants’ sweat and if they display signs of preparing to bite.
In addition to observing the mosquitoes’ behavior via cameras, the test subjects will also be asked to complete a questionnaire about their preferences.
This article sheds light on the intriguing mystery of why certain individuals become magnets for mosquitoes at festivals like Lowlands. Exploring the scientific explanations behind these variations in attraction holds promising potential for developing effective prevention strategies.