Chemical mixture in skin attracts mosquitoes that spread diseases

Sep 22, 2022

New Delhi, Sept 22 (ANI): A fragrance from human skin directs mosquitoes that transmit Zika, dengue, and yellow fever toward their victims. Up until this point, the precise makeup of that smell was unknown. The aroma that prompts a mosquito to identify and land on its victim is produced by the mixture of carbon dioxide and the compounds 2-ketoglutaric and lactic acids, according to research led by UC Riverside. This chemical concoction also promotes probing, which is the practice of piercing mouthpieces to look for blood. This chemical concoction appears to draw female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, carriers of the Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and yellow fever viruses, in particular. This mosquito was first discovered in Africa, but it has since spread to many tropical and subtropical countries, including the United States. In the journal Scientific Reports, the team's research">new research finding and how it was made are described in detail. "Although others have discovered substances that attract mosquitoes, many of them don't have a noticeable, immediate impact. This one does, according to entomologist Ring Carde of UCR.