Human body odor, mosquito bites and the risk of disease transmission
Year: 2005
Type: article
Abstract: Mosquitoes and other blood feeding insects are temporal ectoparasites, which move away from the host after a blood meal. It is known that blood com ponents are mainly utilized by mosquitoes for egg production and, in a few examples, as an energy supply. Odors emanating from the host have different substrates from which they originate (e.g. urine, faces, skin, breath). These odors are important as long-range and short-range cues for host recognition. However, the exact relationship between human body odors and the attractiveness to blood-sucking insects remains unknown. Furthermore, the basis as to why certain individuals are preferentially bitten by hungry mosquitoes more than others is unclear. The present review briefly summarizes the sources of human odor that might play a role in mosquito attraction. Evidence suggests that body odors are actually a byproduct of the decomposition of odorless skin chemicals, and that the final attraction is due to the balance between attractive and non-attractive fractions. Finally, the implications of variable human attractiveness in areas of parasite transmission are discussed in relation with the vectorial capacity model. It is suggested that differences in attractiveness should be considered when assessing risk factors in those endemic transmission foci.
Author: Eduardo A. Rebollar-Téllez
Institution: Autonomous University of Yucatán
Language: English
Topic: Malaria Research and Control
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W1921590231