A group of researchers has discovered something very interesting in the way mosquitoes interact with humans: these annoying and dangerous insects actually don't choose their victims at random. This also means that your genes may play a part for the prevention of mosquito-borne-related diseases.
A team from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine led by Dr. James Logan, with the support from the University of Florida, decided to determine whether these midge-like flies that have been around for more than 25 million years strategically select humans by conducting an experiment involving 27 fraternal (non-identical) and identical female twins.
Each pair is then subjected to a mosquito exposure, in which mosquitoes are allowed to pass through tubes and choose which way to go by turning either left or right. While the mosquitoes tend to prefer one over the other in terms of fraternal twins, they end up being attracted in almost the same level when it comes to identical twins.
Based on their analysis, the team believed that genes may have something to do with it. It's highly possible that some people are able to drive mosquitoes away simply because their bodies produce their own repellent, thanks to their genes. While the unique odor cannot be detected by humans, it is obvious enough for the mosquitoes.
This is such an exciting development especially since some of the deadliest diseases in the world are spread through mosquitoes. These include malaria, which continues to kill at least a million people every year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). West Nile virus is another life-threatening illness caused by mosquitoes. The virus usually resides in the blood of a bird, but when Culex mosquitoes bite an infected bird, the virus also transfers to the former, infecting their systems. Meanwhile, dengue fever, caused by a bite from Aedes mosquito, has a mortality rate of around 5%.
By understanding what types of genes help deter or attract mosquitoes, the researchers can also identify people who are at risk of the abovementioned diseases.
