Scientists found out why some people are attracted to mosquitoes

Summer has passed, but the memory will long retain memories of evenings when mosquitoes did not let you relax. It is possible to notice that some people are “bothered” by insects, while others are indifferent to them. Scientists from Rockefeller University decided to dot all the “i” points on this issue and understand what individual individuals are so attracted to mosquitoes.

The researchers studied the composition and levels of substances on the skin of participants in the experiment – these indicators are individual for each person. In addition, the insects are also provoked by such signals as increased temperature, active exhalation of CO2 and a special smell coming from the body of the “victim”. To test the effect of these factors, scientists recruited 64 volunteers who agreed to wear sleeves of thick nylon on their forearms, which are good at preserving odors.

All the sleeves were then rolled up and placed in a closed container filled with Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes, which are the main vectors of Zika and dengue. In just a few seconds, the insects swarmed around sample number 33, so the scientists began to study its smell more carefully. Chemical analysis revealed that this participant’s skin concentration of 50 substances was several times higher – including carboxylic acids. Further testing confirmed that fatty acids on the skin are what make people real “magnets” for mosquitoes.