--- title: "The Reasons Some People Attract Mosquitoes" description: "A new study has discovered the reason mosquitoes are drawn to some people more than others." author: "Muskan Singh" published: 2022-11-15 canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/news/2350/the-reasons-some-people-attract-mosquitoes category: "science" tags: ["news", "science and technology", "research"] reading_time: 2 minutes --- # The Reasons Some People Attract Mosquitoes ``` Some viruses are able to change their host's fragrance in order to draw additional mosquitoes.Both mice and human patients underwent observation for the phenomenon.Through mosquito bites, Zika and dengue fever are transmitted. ``` The cause of why certain humans are more attractive to mosquitoes than others has been uncovered by a [recent study](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/36177/if-the-ganges-is-holy-why-can-t-it-clean-itself-and-who-are-we-to-do-that-a-recent-study-says-that-it-s-so-polluted-that-bathing-in-it-can-cause-skin-cancer). According to studies, **some viruses can make an infected person smell 'tastier' to a mosquito.** Human-infecting viruses like Zika and dengue illness spread through [mosquito bites](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/story/2583/why-do-mosquito-bites-itch). The scientists found that these viruses alter the skin microbiome of their hosts, which produces a chemical that attracts insects. The likelihood of the virus spreading also rises as more mosquitoes are likely to bite the affected person. Both the zika virus and the dengue fever virus are transmitted by mosquito bites and are members of the same family of viruses. Dengue fever, which is primarily found in [tropical](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/134981/midwest-tropical-is-your-best-source-for-custom-water-features) and subtropical regions, can result in excruciating pains, rashes, haemorrhaging, and even death. Although the Zika virus does not cause major illness in adults, it has recently been linked to birth abnormalities in the [**unborn infants**](https://www.mindstick.com/news/2077/how-to-get-a-crying-baby-to-sleep-according-to-science) of infected mothers. The preference of mosquitoes for mice was tested by a group of [researchers](https://www.mindstick.com/news/1544/mars-looks-more-seismically-active-than-before-thought-said-researchers) from **UConn Health, Tsinghua [University](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/188407/the-north-south-divide-university-cost-comparison) in Beijing, and the Institute of [Infectious Diseases](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/47597/what-are-the-precautions-to-be-taken-against-infectious-diseases-and-disinfection-measures) in Shenzhen,** among others. Mosquitoes were shown to be more drawn to the dengue-infected mice when given the choice between a healthy mouse and one that was afflicted. The group then looked at the pungent substances on the skin of both sick and healthy mice. They conducted a test after discovering that particular [**chemicals**](https://www.mindstick.com/news/2001/why-open-science-is-the-future) were prevalent in diseased animals. Clean mice and volunteer subjects' hands received the molecules. The [experiment](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/43405/who-created-the-holy-experiment)'s findings showed that the odour of the odoriferous molecule acetophenone attracted mosquitoes. **Additionally, greater acetophenone synthesis, which attracted more mosquitoes, was detected in the skin odorants collected from human dengue patients.** According to Penghua Wang, an immunologist at UConn Health and one of the study's authors, **the virus can change the skin microbiome of its hosts to draw in more mosquitoes and spread more quickly.** Additionally, scientists examined the effects of isotretinoin, a vitamin A derivative, on dengue-infected mice. They noticed that since the acetophenone molecule's [production](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/story/1489/the-countries-that-dominate-world-fossil-fuel-production) was reduced, the mice attracted fewer mosquitoes. --- Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/news/2350/the-reasons-some-people-attract-mosquitoes Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.