1 hr ago

Study Finds Yellow Fever Mosquitoes Slightly Prefer Male Participants

A study looked at whether mosquitoes are more drawn to some people than others.

Researchers tested three kinds of mosquitoes with 119 people.

The volunteers put an arm near a tube, and the scientists watched which way the mosquitoes flew.

Nobody was bitten.

One kind, the yellow-fever mosquito, was a little more attracted to male volunteers.

The other two kinds did not show the same preference.

The study also found links between mosquito attraction and bacteria that help make body odour.

The researchers said the findings might help people make better repellents.

They cautioned that a laboratory test may not show exactly what happens outdoors.

Key facts

Study title: “Individual humans are more attractive to certain mosquito species”
Institution: Florida International University
Participants: 119 human volunteers
Mosquito species tested: Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus
Gender-related finding: Aedes aegypti was slightly more attracted to male than female participants; the other two species showed no such preference.
Test method: Researchers counted mosquitoes flying toward volunteers’ arms through a long sealed tube; participants were not bitten.
Limitation: The researchers said findings could differ in real-world conditions because the study was conducted in a controlled lab with people from one city.

theprint.in · 2 hrs ago