Do you attract mosquitoes? It could be because of your body odour

A new study, published in an American scientific journal, suggests that mosquitoes are particularly attracted to certain body odours.

Mosquitoes contribute to the spread of deadly diseases such as malaria, which kill millions of people every year.

Some people seem to be more susceptible to mosquito bites than others.

No scientifically proven reason has ever been found to explain this phenomenon, such as blood type, clothing or bacteria on the skin.

However, a new study published in the scientific journal Cell on 18 October details how some people are mosquito magnets due to the production of odour-related chemicals.

During the three-year study, participants wore nylon stockings on their arms for six hours every day for several days to capture the smell of their skin.

In a tournament-like experiment, socks were placed at the ends of separate long tubes, and Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes were released to see which tubes they would choose.

In the end, the researchers found that one participant, subject 33, was 100 times more attractive to mosquitoes than the least attractive participant.

The mosquitoes always chose subject 33's nylon stocking over another.

The researchers tested subject 33 with 56 other people to see if it was an aberration, but the mosquitoes remained loyal.

The researchers examined the chemical compounds of each participant and found that those who were mosquito magnets produced carboxylic acids at much higher levels than those who were not.

According to Leslie Vosshall, a neurobiologist at Rockefeller University in New York, there is a strong link between these fatty acids and mosquito magnetism.

"That was not the purpose of the study," she said.

"The goal was to make mosquitoes less attracted to humans, but that's not what we saw," she said.

Despite several years of testing, the study showed that these large differences persist, said Matt DeGennaro, a neurogeneticist at Florida International University.

They remain mosquito magnets," said DeGennaro.

Although the researchers did not achieve their goal, their results could pave the way for mosquito repellents.

To change a person's odour, one must manipulate the microbiome of their skin, and if possible, by coating the skin of the subject with compounds from people who are less attractive to mosquitoes, one could avoid being bitten.

See also :

Anti-mosquito guide: everything you need to know about mosquitoes to protect yourself

Source: Chiang Rai Time