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A woman is outside with a scent trail behind her that attracts two hungry mosquitoes.
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?
Scientists itch to decipher the cues that make some people mosquito magnets.
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?

Scientists itch to decipher the cues that make some people mosquito magnets.

Scientists itch to decipher the cues that make some people mosquito magnets.

mosquitoes

a newly hatched mosquito sits on top of water, with its discarded cocoon floating below
In Vitro Malaria Sporozoite Production May Lead to Cheaper Vaccines
Katherine Irving | Jan 20, 2023 | 4 min read
A method for culturing the infectious stage of the Plasmodium lifecycle could increase malaria vaccine production efficiency by tenfold, study authors say.
an&nbsp;<em>Aedes aegypti&nbsp;</em>mosquito, black with white dots and stripes on its joints and body, sitting on a person&#39;s skin and feeding.&nbsp;
Smelly Skin Compounds Draw Mosquitoes to Some People More than Others
Katherine Irving | Oct 19, 2022 | 3 min read
People with more carboxylic acids in their body odor are more attractive to mosquitoes, a study finds.
Mosquito on leaf stock photo
Combating Mosquito-Borne Diseases with CRISPR
Niki Spahich, PhD | Oct 11, 2022 | 4 min read
As alternatives to insecticides, Omar Akbari uses sophisticated genetic engineering methods to solve the world’s mosquito problems.
An orange toad perched on a leaf
Past Malaria Surges Linked to Amphibian Die-off
Andy Carstens | Sep 21, 2022 | 2 min read
A study suggests that pathogens affecting other species can indirectly harm human health.
Close-up of a mosquito antenna with hair-like protrusions and fluorescently labeled glomeruli as green circles on the shaft
The Neuroscience Behind Why Mosquitoes Always Find You
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Aug 18, 2022 | 5 min read
Neurons in mosquito antennae can express more than one olfactory receptor at a time, a redundancy that likely ensures they don’t lose a potential host’s scent.
Mosquitos flying at sunset
Climate Change Worsens Most Infectious Diseases
Andy Carstens | Aug 8, 2022 | 2 min read
Of the pathogens known to have infected humans, more than half may cause more widespread disease as a result of rising temperatures, precipitation changes, or other climate-related factors, a study finds.
Sleeping mice in chambers with mosquitoes behind them on a mesh
Mosquitoes Drawn to Hosts Infected by Dengue, Zika
Patience Asanga | Jun 30, 2022 | 4 min read
Flavivirus infections alter the skin microbiome of mice to increase the production of a sweet-smelling compound that attracts the viruses’ insect vectors, a study finds.
A mosquito sucks blood from human skin
Malaria Mosquitoes Bite More During the Day Than Previously Thought
Andy Carstens | May 17, 2022 | 2 min read
While malaria control strategies have focused on mosquitoes’ nocturnal activity, almost one-third of bites occur while the sun is up, a new study estimates.
close-up of an Aedes aegypti mosquito on human skin
Researchers Discover What Attracts Mosquitoes to Humans
Sophie Fessl, PhD | May 11, 2022 | 5 min read
A brain area of Aedes aegypti responds specifically to components of human sebum, a study finds.
close-up photo of mosquito on green background
Wet Weather Brings Japanese Encephalitis to Australia
Shawna Williams | Apr 14, 2022 | 2 min read
Southern Australia has recorded its first-ever cases of the disease in an outbreak that has so far killed three people.
Mosquito with red abdomen and white stripes on human skin
Mosquitoes Add Bacteria to Water to Help Larvae Grow: Preprint
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 12, 2022 | 4 min read
Pregnant mosquito females deploy the microbe Elizabethkingia to speed larval growth; the larvae, in turn, help the bacteria outcompete other strains.
back of a pest control van with a picture of indoor residual sprayer for malaria
Mosquito Memory: Pest Management’s New Hurdle
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Feb 21, 2022 | 3 min read
Mosquitoes avoid pesticides that they’ve had close encounters with, a fact that may complicate pest management.
Human DNA abstract dotwork vector illustration made of cloud of colored dots.
Adapting with a Little Help from Jumping Genes
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jan 17, 2022 | 10+ min read
Long lambasted as junk DNA or genomic parasites, transposable elements turn out to be contributors to adaptation.
close-up of a mosquito on human skin
West Nile Virus and Climate Change: It’s Complicated
David Adam | Sep 28, 2021 | 3 min read
Warmer temperatures are likely to increase the prevalence of the mosquito-borne disease in many places, but not all.
a large intersection with an obelisk in the middle, with buildings and mountains in the background
Wolbachia-Infected Mosquitoes Stymie Dengue’s Spread: Study
Shawna Williams | Jun 10, 2021 | 2 min read
Randomized, controlled research conducted in an Indonesian city confirms the reduction in cases seen with previous observational work.
An Oxitec mosquito release box from the Florida Keys Friendly Mosquito Project
First US Field Test of GM Mosquitoes Begins in Florida
Christie Wilcox, PhD | May 4, 2021 | 2 min read
After years of push back, the first batch of Oxitec’s engineered mosquitoes, designed to reduce population numbers, have been released in the Keys.
Amanda Tokash-Peters Links the Microbiome to Ecology
Shawna Williams | May 1, 2021 | 3 min read
The Centenary University professor studies the far-reaching effects of changes in the gut bacteria of mosquitos and other species.
an Aedes scapulari mosquito
Disease-Carrying Mosquito Species Returns to Florida
Shawna Williams | Mar 17, 2021 | 2 min read
Aedes scapularis is already established on the peninsula, and researchers predict that its population will continue to spread.
Insects Pass Antiviral Immunity to Offspring
Abby Olena, PhD | Dec 17, 2020 | 4 min read
In both Drosophila and mosquitoes, protection lasts for generations following a single maternal exposure to positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses.
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