ADVENTURE DOC

That Bites
Globetrotting physician Erik McLaughlin, M.D., explains how to best avoid pesky mosquitoes.

Worldwide, mosquitoes are a major carrier of disease and a significant health threat. Each year, these puny pests cause disease among 7 million people. In fact, 1 of 17 will die from a mosquito-borne disease.

Although there are many different species of mosquitoes, the “bad girls” — Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles — carry diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, and dengue fever. Only the female mosquito bites mammals because they require a blood meal to nourish their babies. Male mosquitoes feed on flowers.

Being Attractive

What attracts mosquitoes is not fully clear. Mosquitoes do have developed senses of vision, thermal/heat, and smell, and they use all of these senses to find food. It is believed that the olfactory (smell) sense is the most important in finding victims.

During the day, dark-colored clothing and movement help a female mosquito “lock on” to its target at long range. As the mosquito nears her prey, the senses of smell and thermal sense take over. Carbon dioxide and lactic acid are two of the most studied mosquito attractants. CO2 is mainly found in exhaled breaths, and lactic acid can be found on the skin when muscles are being used, as in exercise. Lastly, skin temperature and skin moisture guide the mosquito to where they want to bite on the body.

It is widely assumed that certain species of mosquito prefer different body parts such as hands, face, feet, etc. This could be because of the differences in local skin temperatures. Scented soaps, cologne, lotions, and hair products can also attract mosquitoes.

As for personal preference, adults are preferred over children; men are more commonly bitten than women; and larger people get bit more than smaller people, possibly because of their increased CO2 output.