Here's why you're bitten by mosquitoes far more than anyone else!
Every year during the summer, millions of people are targeted by the most hated insect of all: the mosquito.
By now all the solutions to the problem have been tested such as disinfestations, mosquito repellent sprays, and lotions. These methods solve the problem momentarily but the mosquitoes always come back! So, what should we do?
To try to solve this long-standing problem, modern science has also become increasingly interested and is trying to understand what is it that "attracts" mosquitoes...
There are thousands of different species of mosquitoes, fortunately, not all of them are engineered to bite us humans and only some are carriers of diseases like malaria or yellow fever. The most interesting thing (perhaps a little less for those who are victims) is that when these insects decide that they must feed themselves, they seem to have preferences among us humans. This does not mean that some people are more appetizing than others or have "sweeter" blood as our grandmothers used to tell us because actually, the answer to this question seems to be on our skin.
Mosquitoes somehow manage to recognize the tastiest "meal" through various methods, all scientifically accredited. This parasite is able, in the first instance, to detect the carbon dioxide released by the human body. In fact, in human beings the odor of CO2 is amplified by lactic acid more than by other warm-blooded animals, in addition to this, the carbon dioxide released by overweight and pregnant women is greater than for others.
Also important for being selected by a mosquito is the composition of the flora microbiota present on our skin. We have millions of non-pathogenic bacteria, depending on what we eat, drink, and touch. The presence of certain bacteria in our cutaneous microbiota seems to strongly influence a mosquito's choice. Still, however, it is not clear why mosquitoes prefer a certain microbial flora compared to others. In addition to what is said about bacteria and carbon dioxide, doing physical activity raises your body temperature and generates lactic acid, which increases the risk of being bitten as well as consuming frequently alcohol even if scientists do not yet understand why.
The reasons remain varied and there are probably still others to be discovered, even though science for years has been trying to understand the criterion of choice made by mosquitoes but without concrete results. The only thing that is certain is that to try to survive these periods in which we are surrounded by mosquitoes, it is important to protect ourselves with mosquito repellents and lotions. Perhaps, if the studies succeed in understanding which of these reasons is the most sensible one, experts could find a remedy against annoying mosquito bites and, why not, even against the transmission of the diseases of which they are carriers.
