Scientists discover these viruses make you a magnet for mosquitoes

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Mosquitoes feed on our blood, give us itchy, red bumps and their buzzing sound is one we’re all too painfully familiar with. They are also a reservoir for the infection and transmission of dengue and Zika virus. And now scientists know why. 

Dengue and Zika infections alter the way a person smells. The new smell lures mosquitoes to feast on their infected blood. Once finished, the insect then carries the virus to their next victim. 

“The viruses can manipulate the hosts’ skin microbiome to attract more mosquitoes,” Dr. Penghua Wang, study author and immunologist at the University of Connecticut, said in a statement. “These findings could explain how mosquito viruses manage to persist for such a long time.”

The findings were published in the latest issue of Cell. 

Researchers plan to use this information to investigate ways to reduce mosquito attractiveness to the changing smell. This will then reduce the risk of transmission and infection of dengue and Zika.