A new scientific study has revealed that different mosquito species have distinct preferences for human targets based on specific body odors and skin bacteria.
The research, published in the Cell Press scientific journal iScience, investigated why some individuals are more prone to insect bites than others. Scientists discovered that a person who is highly attractive to one type of mosquito might not appeal to another species at all.
The analysis focused on three common and globally significant mosquito species: Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are known primary vectors for tropical diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya. Culex quinquefasciatus is a widespread house mosquito capable of transmitting lymphatic filariasis and West Nile virus.
Researchers found that the variation in human attractiveness is driven by specific molecular signatures. This includes the exact composition of microorganisms living on the skin and the unique body odors an individual exhales.
The attractiveness of an individual to mosquitoes is highly variable and depends directly on the particular insect species. Human body odor is generated mainly through the biotransformation of skin secretions into volatile organic compounds. These secretions do not originally have any scent of their own.
The study identified that different mosquito species prefer distinct sets of these odors and bacteria, although there are some common signals shared among them.
Male volunteer preference
Data from the research indicated that Aedes aegypti showed a slight preference for male volunteers. The other two mosquito species in the study did not demonstrate any such bias. The exact reason for this specific male preference remains not fully understood.
Scientists also identified three specific chemical compounds that were more prevalent in individuals who proved highly attractive to all three mosquito species. These compounds are ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol formate and alpha-pinene.
The published work highlighted how evolution has shaped different sensory mechanisms in mosquitoes to locate their human hosts.
