Why do some people get bitten by mosquitoes more than others? triocean/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Spring and summer mark the great return of mosquitoes, and with them the eternal question. Why are some eaten more than others? We asked the question to two experts.
Every year, as soon as the weather returns, the scenario is the same: during an outdoor dinner in the village, at night, when you sleep with the windows open, you are the favorite playground of mosquitoes, when it seems that the table or the bed next to you. barely disturbed. Why does an insect go after you while others seem spared? Are we to conclude that you have this famous mosquito skin? In reality, the matter is more complicated, but there is some truth. Explanations:
A History of Body Alchemy
This idea of ”mosquito skin” is not so wrong. Our skin microbiota includes thousands of bacteria. But “the microflora of this epidermis, which varies from person to person, attracts mosquitoes to a greater or lesser extent,” explains Sylvie Manguin, director of research at the IRD (Institute for Development Research). Some (there are over 3,500 different types of mosquitoes) are sensitive to certain bacteria, while others are not. THE: Culex quinquefasciatuswhich is mostly present in cities, is not susceptible to the same bacteria as, for example, the tiger mosquito.
Its scent also attracts summer pests. “When we breathe, each of us emits a variety of odors, carbon dioxide, as well as lactic acid fermentations related to muscle activity that are specific to us,” adds Gregory L’Ambert, medical entomologist at EID Méditerranée. And some of these odors are more attractive to mosquitoes than others.
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Sweat also works. If you’re having an aperitif outside, you’re sweating, or you’ve just been sweating, you’re more likely to get bitten than someone coming out of the shower. “When we sweat, the bacteria that live on our skin will feed on that heat and moisture and grow. This distribution will more or less attract mosquitoes and especially in the areas where sweat is concentrated, under the arms, in the hollows of the knees…” the specialist notes.
It’s about alcohol
According to two experts, the consumption of alcohol, and more specifically, beer, can also make us attractive prey. These data are confirmed in the case of the tiger mosquito, which is abundant in the south of France, as Sylvie Manguin explains based on a study published in 2002; or the release of CO2 or the presence of alcohol in the sweat of the tested subjects, this mosquito was more likely to bite those who drank beer.
Heat mass is greater in adults and attracts mosquitoes more
Sylvie Manguin, Research Director Ird
Mosquito clothing
Not surprisingly, the less covered you are, the more you get bitten. This also explains why adults generally die more than children; “adults have a larger body with a larger surface area. Therefore, the mass of heat is greater in the house and attracts more mosquitoes,” explains Sylvie Manguin.
The color of clothes can also attract mosquitoes. “With their hooded eyes, they distinguish movement and color, and are generally attracted to dark, warm eyes,” says Gregory L’Ambert.
A common question.
What if the solution to not swallowing anymore was to swallow? “When a mosquito bites us, it injects an anticoagulant to soak up the blood,” explains Gregory L’Ambert. Our immune system detects these molecules and triggers a reaction to break them down – an itchy blister. But if we stay in the same region for several months, encountering the same type of mosquitoes, our body gets used to it. The specialist continues. “Gradually, the immune response decreases until it disappears completely. Therefore, we will still be bitten, but no blisters will form and no more itching will occur.”
Source: Le Figaro
