New findings on the brain of the mosquito might help researchers get closer to combating mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria and yellow fever, which still harm millions of people. The study reveals mosquitoes' scent based host seeking mechanism.
The process by which female mosquitoes select their victims using scent has been discovered by an international research team.
Researchers from Princeton University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) discovered that when mosquitos detect the scent of humans, a particular section in their brain is activated.
“We have found out how mosquitoes can distinguish between the smell from humans and other animals,” SLU researcher Rickard Ignell told national broadcaster SVT.
Mosquitoes seem to have distinct preferences for humans and animals, although it is unclear why or how they differentiate amongst both. It is now conceivable to provide responses to the question using scent samples from humans...