Some people are more attractive to mosquitos than others, and new research is starting to show why. This Reactions episode dives into the chemistry of the molecules on our skin that make some of us so much more appealing to these pesky insects. It also reveals which products we can use to try to deter them.
Sources:
- Lessons from mosquitoes’ painless piercing
- Inhibition of collagen-induced platelet aggregation by anopheline antiplatelet protein, a saliva protein from a malaria vector mosquito
- Mosquito saliva alone has profound effects on the human immune system
- Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch?
- Differential mosquito attraction to humans is associated with skin-derived carboxylic acid levels
- Human scent guides mosquito thermotaxis and host selection under naturalistic conditions
- Molecule of the Week Archive: Eucalyptol
- Insect repellents: An updated review for the clinician
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