This Is The Super Strange and Unexpected Reason Mosquitoes Bite Some Humans A Lot More Than Others!
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Mosquitoes are nasty, highly irritating insects whose presence can easily ruin an otherwise perfect time. The way they buzz and swarm all around, waiting to land on someones warm skin to bite, is enough to drive anyone insane. The worst part about the pesky blood suckers is that they carry a number of diseases, which they can transmit straight into your body and bloodstream when they bite into you. Every year almost 700 million people worldwide end up contracting a mosquito borne illness, resulting in over a million deaths, and that number just keeps growing. This scary fact is what makes them the number one killer of humans.
Right now there there is currently an ongoing public health crisis surrounding the Zika Virus, which is being spread by mosquitoes and causing all sorts of health issues. It’s only the latest international health threat emerging that’s related directly to mosquito bites, and it’s in good company.
Throughout history there’s been many diseases spread mainly or exclusively by mosquitoes, including malaria, dengue, encephalitis, West Nile virus, and more. While it’s best to avoid the flying terrors all together, that’s basically impossible. People use all sorts of stuff to combat the pests but nothing is 100% effective against them, if they want to bite you, they will or die trying.
One way you can lessen the amount of bites is by knowing what attracts the skeeters in the first place. Basically, it depends on how you smell and since mosquitoes have excellent scent receptors in their antennae, they can easily smell any human within 100 feet. Unfortunately, it also comes down to genetics and 85% of the reason why mosquitoes prefer some people over others is because of their genetic makeup. Below are some of the factors that make someone a mosquito bite target:
1) Lactic acid production- People who produce more lactic acid, which is emitted from our bodies via the sweat glands, are more attractive to mosquitoes. The more perspiration and the older it is, the greater the buildup of lactic acid, meaning your a tasty meal. Research has proven that fresh sweat isn’t as attractive to a mosquito as day old sweat appears to be.
2) Bacteria- Bacteria living on the skin can vary greatly from person to person and affect how much they get bit by mosquitoes. If someone has bacteria types like Staphylococcus and Variovorax present on their skin, they will have more mosquito problems. The opposite is also true, and other types of bacteria act to make our skin less attractive to the pests. Some of these include Pseudomonas, Delftia, Leptotrichia, and Actinobacteria.
3) Blood type- What type of blood you have also factors into the risk of suffering more bites. Studies have found that mosquitoes are most drawn to those with type O blood, followed by type B and then type A. Also, if you’re among the estimated 85% of people who emit a certain chemical that gives away your blood type through the skin, the mosquitoes will bite you long before they bite those who lack the chemical. Apparently, the insects like to know exactly what type of blood they’ll be sucking.
4) Carbon Dioxide- Mosquitoes are attracted to the CO2 you exhale when breathing. Those who produce more of it get bit more, which sucks for pregnant women and heavy-set people who breathe heavier. Also, a related point is that beer drinkers tend to get bit more frequently because they too breathe more heavily when under the influence of a few beers.
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