Smelly Chemicals Confuse Mosquitoes

Chemicals that disrupt the ability of a mosquito to sniff people have been developed by U.S. researchers, according to research in the journal Nature.

It is desirable, could be used to create the next generation of mosquito repellents &.

Female mosquitoes use the carbon dioxide in the breath of people to find their next meal.

professional in the UK said the finding could be “a significant step forward” if the chemicals are safe and economical.

This knowledge is used and carbon dioxide traps, but require dry ice or gas cylinders – which means they are rarely used in developing countries.

It can detect small changes in gas concentration and follow a human breath.

Between them, these insects are considered disease spread to half a billion people each year and cause millions of deaths.

The researchers were looking for chemicals that can disrupt or confuse the meaning of a carbon dioxide for mosquitoes.

Researchers at the University of Los Angeles, Riverside, odorous chemicals tested species of mosquitoes: Anopheles Gambia, which spreads malaria, Culex quinquefasciatus, which extends from filariasis and West Nile virus; & Aedes aegypti, which spread dengue and yellow fever.

“The identification of these odorants, which may operate even at low concentrations, and therefore economic, can be extremely effective in compromising the ability of mosquitoes to people search and help control the spread of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes “.

Researchers have identified groups of chemicals that disrupt the mosquito receptors carbon dioxide.

mimicked the carbon dioxide and could be used as insect bait is the level of mosquito second to detect carbon dioxide, and the last group of mosquito trick the brain into thinking that he was surrounded by a huge amount of gas – so that could not choose where to go to the direction of

Ray Anandasankar Professor, University of Los Angeles, Riverside, said: “These chemicals have powerful benefits as potential tools to reduce human contact with mosquitoes, and may lead to the development of new generations of repellents and traps.

Carbon dioxide is not the only way to find dinner for mosquitoes, however, when the smell of human sweat and skin can also be used.

Dr. James Logan, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “If this is a fascinating study, the authors have yet to demonstrate that chemicals can protect a human being to be bitten.

“Although carbon dioxide is an important landmark for mosquitoes, they know the answers differently than a mosquito trap carbon dioxide as the release of a real person who publishes a complex mixture of many chemicals surprising , heat, moisture and visual cues.

“The key question – no odor response to change” the act of protecting a human being?

Dr. Nikolai Windbichler, Imperial College London, said the work had to be done to make positive were safe and could be produced cheaply.

Chemicals must also be used in high concentrations, which could be hazardous to human health. Researchers say their next step is the creation of safer chemicals.

They added: “These new compounds have properties and desirable because they can confuse the mosquito host-seeking behavior, even when these substances are no longer present, the mosquitoes have left the area of ??application.

“This, if realized, could be an important step forward and protect groups of people or a huge giant fields, something that is not currently possible with existing repellents.”

Mark Stopfer, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said the study offered “a promising line of defense.”