Why Mosquitoes Are More Attracted To Some Individuals? Study Explains

Mosquitoes are a nuisance for everyone, but some people seem to attract them more than others. Once these pesky insects find any exposed skin, they use their needle-like proboscises to suck blood. But what is the science behind certain people being more exposed to mosquitoes? It might have something to do with smell.

As per a 2022 study by researchers at the Rockefeller University, published in the journal Cell, individuals who have higher levels of certain acids on their skin are 100 times more attractive to the female Aedes aegypti, responsible for the spread of diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika.

For the study, researchers collected natural scent from people’s skin using nylon stockings on the arms. Afterwards, they were cut into two-inch pieces and placed behind two separate trap doors where mosquitoes were flying.

As per Leslie Vosshall, the lead researcher behind the study, mosquitoes were particularly attracted to one sample, described as being from ‘subject 33’.

“Subject 33 won a hundred games. They were totally undefeated. Nobody beat them,” said Ms Vosshall.

She added that chemical analysis revealed that ‘subject 33’ or highly attractive people, produce significantly more carboxylic acids in their skin emissions.

“The link between elevated carboxylic acids in “mosquito-magnet” human skin odour and phenotypes of genetic mutations in carboxylic acid receptors suggests that such compounds contribute to differential mosquito attraction,” the study highlighted.

It remains unclear why mosquitoes are particularly attracted to this chemical, but a person’s unique skin climate is believed to play a major role.

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Limitations and scope

The researchers pointed towards the limitations of the study as well, stating that they could not remove carboxylic acids from the skin of highly attractive human subjects to establish necessity.

“Human skin odour is a complex blend of several classes of chemical compounds, each of which requires its own specialised analytical detection methods. Our study exclusively focused on compounds with carboxylic acid groups,” the study stated.

Since mosquito-borne diseases impact about 700 million people per year, the study could provide insights into what skin odorants are most important to the mosquito and subsequently help in developing more effective repellents.