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Researchers have created a giant sniffing arena for mosquitoes in Zambia, Africa to study how female bloodsucking mosquitoes find and choose the humans they feed on. Previous studies have found it difficult to capture the complex nature of mosquito attraction, so the research team decided to build a more naturalistic setting for their experiments. The semi-field flight cage was a screened structure with a volume of around 1,000 cubic meters, which allowed the team to compare the scents of six humans at once and see how the mosquitoes would hunt, their preferred time to feed. The team used a human-loving and common malaria vector called Anopheles gambiae as its test subject.
The cage was outfitted with evenly spaced heating pads, which could warm up to the typical human skin temperature of roughly 95 degrees Fahrenheit. On these pads, the team could entice the mosquitoes over by releasing varying amounts of carbon dioxide and human scent. The human volunteers involved were kept safe, since their odor was provided by funneling air from the single-person tents they stayed inside. If the bugs landed on a heating pad, that would indicate their willingness to chow down.
The researchers found that body heat alone didn’t bring the mosquitoes running over for a potential meal. The mosquitos did become attracted to the pads once carbon dioxide was added to the mix. But body odor was the most alluring on its own to the bloodsuckers. “In this study, we found that human scent is critical for the Anopheles gambiae to be drawn into the proximity of a potential host, whereby they then can detect warmth from the human skin,” said study author Conor McMeniman.
As other research has shown, the mosquitos in this study had their clear favorites among the humans. And within people’s individual musks, the team identified chemical components that appeared to be incredibly attractive or repulsive. These findings suggest that high levels of eucalyptol in the body might be a great deterrent to mosquito bites. It’s likely that this person ate foods rich in the chemical, which is commonly found in herbs and spices, the authors say. But it’s also possible that they used external products that contain it, such as toothpaste and mouthwash.
Understanding what chemicals in human scent drive differential attraction to certain humans is important, because if we can identify these chemicals, we can help to inform personal bite risk,” said McMeniman. This research could also help scientists develop better baits or traps. More research is needed to confirm the team’s results. But this study is only the beginning of their work. The team plans to run larger experiments in Zambia that will involve over 100 humans and, in the U.S., they plan to better understand the entire library of chemicals that can be found in our scent. They’re hoping to eventually build a similar testing arena in the U.S. to study local disease-spreading mosquitoes.
FAQ:
What was the purpose of the mosquito sniffing arena?
The purpose of the mosquito sniffing arena was to understand why mosquitoes are drawn to humans.
What was the structure of the arena?
The arena was a semi-field flight cage, which was a screened structure with a volume of around 1,000 cubic meters.
What did the researchers find?
The researchers found that human body odor was more alluring to mosquitoes than the mere presence of carbon dioxide, a chemical that we exhale.
What is eucalyptol and how can it help prevent mosquito bites?
Eucalyptol is a chemical that is commonly found in herbs and spices. The researchers found that high levels of eucalyptol in the body might be a great deterrent to mosquito bites.
What will the team do next?
The team plans to run larger experiments in Zambia that will involve over 100 humans and, in the U.S., they plan to better understand the entire library of chemicals that can be found in our scent. They’re hoping to eventually build a similar testing arena in the U.S. to study local disease-spreading mosquitoes.
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