A study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information(NCBI) says people with Blood Group O are more likely to attract mosquitos. People with Blood Group A are least likely.
we often observe that some peoples are more attractive to the mosquitoes than others. have you ever wonder why? Is their blood really so tasty? In this blog we're going to focus on the factors that are responsible for making them so attractive to the mosquitoes.
Some peoples are especially delicious for mosquitoes, and get bit more often on a consistent basis. Now a days scientists have recently discovered that some mosquitoes can become immune to insect repellents over time. The scientists have discovered some of the reasons regarding why some of us are more prone to bites than others?
Blood Type :
The main purpopse of mosquitoes behind biting us is to harvest blood from our body. According to a recent research, some blood groups are more mouth-watering than other.
According to that research, in a controlled conditions, mosquitoes prefered to target peoples with Type O blood nearly twice as often as those with Type A. People with Type B blood Lie somewhere in the middle of the type O and type A. About 85% of people secrete a chemical signal through their skin that indicates which blood type they have, while rest 15% do not. Secretors are more delicious to the mosquitoes than non-secretors regardless of which blood type they are.
Convincingly the blood study found in 64 human tests, 86% of people with Blood Group O received mosquito bites compared to 46% of people with Blood Group A. The study focused solely on Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which are known to transmit the Zika virus. According to the study, Blood Groups B and AB attracted fewer Aedes albopictus mosquitoes than Blood Group O but more than Blood Group A. No matter what's attracting the pests, experts agree the best way to throw the insects off your scent is to simply use repellent.
Carbon Dioxide :
How does mosquitoes locate their targets? one of the major way is to smell the carbon dioxide emitted in their breath, by using maxillary palp. They can detect carbon dioxide from as far as 164 feet away.
You all know that carbon dioxide attracts mosquitoes, but are you aware that some people also emitts certain chemicals along with carbon dioxide in their breath that mosquitoes are attracted to? Carbon dioxide is the main source of attraction, though these chemicals are a secondary attractant that may make them choose you.
As an impact of this,Peoples who exhale more of the gas over time(mainly, larger people) attracts more mosquitoes than others. Children get bit less often than adults, because they exhale less gases in their breathe.
Exercise and Metabolism :
The human body expells lactic acid, uric acid, ammonia and other substances via their sweat, which helps mosquitoes to find victims at closer range by smelling these chemicals. Mosquitoes are also attracted to people with higher body temperatures. As exercise increases the buildup of lactic acid and heat in your body, it is more often that the mosquitoes will target you. While, the amount of uric acid and other substances naturally emitted by each person is influenced by genetic factors.
Skin Bacteria :
Other research has urged that the actual varieties and volume of microorganisms (especially bacteria) that naturally live on human skin have an effect on attractiveness to mosquitoes. In a 2011 study, scientists found that having massive amounts of a few types of bacteria made skin more appealing to mosquitoes.
Though, having lots of bacterias but of different species seemed to make skin less attractive. Mosquitoes especially prefer biting our ankles and feet, because they naturally have more robust bacterial colonies.
Beer :
If you are drunk, there are more chances that the mosquitoes will target you. Just a single bottle of beer can make you more tasty and mouth watering to mosquitoes
The reason is- 'drinking increases the amount of ethanol excreted in sweat.' It also increases body temperature. But still, the exact reason for their affinity for drinkers is like an another science mystery.
Natural Repellants :
The researchers are studying - why mosquitoes bite some peoples more preferably than others? so that they can create next generation insect repellents. Using chromatography to isolate the particular chemicals these people emit, scientists at the UK’s Rothamsted Research lab has isolated the protein molecules released by these natural repellers by using chromatography techniques. These natural repellers excrete some substances that mosquitoes don’t seem to find attractive. By incorporating these molecules into advanced next generation insect sprays could make it possible for even a Type O, exercising man or pregnant woman in a black shirt to get rid of mosquitoes.
Genetics :
The genetic factors are responsible for nearly 85 % of the variability between people in their attractiveness to mosquitoes, heedless of whether it is expressed through metabolism, blood type, or other factors.
Clothing Color :
You might get amazed, but mosquitoes also get assistance from their vision (along with scent) to locate humans. This is why Mosquitoes are attracted to certain clothes. The neatness and cleanliness of your cloths doesn't matter. Mosquitoes get attracted to the brightness of the cloth colour. Mosquitoes have very poor eyesight, so they use silhouettes to land on their target. If you've wore dark clothes, then mosquitoes will find you more tastier.
so wearing black, dark blue or red cloths may make you easier to find.
Pregnancy :
According to recent studies and conclusions of various researchers, pregnant women have been found attract more, roughly twice as many mosquito bites as others. There are two reasons behind this:
(1)They exhale about 21 percent more carbon dioxide.
(2) They are on an average about 1.26 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than others.
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