The mosquito Aedes aegyptIt is one of the main vectors of transmission of the virus of diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, zika or chikungunya, a collateral damage of its main objective: feed on blood, preferably human.
Researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara explain that the mosquito simultaneously uses various detection methods to feed themselves.
He Aedes aegypti first detects the minimum fluctuation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the aircaused by the breathing of a human being. This detection is made at more than ten meters from the subject.
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According to the study, published on August 21, this fact “increases its locomotor activity and increases its reactivity to other stimuli from the host,” particularly the olfactory signals of human scentdetectable at a distance of one or two meters.
Since the Aedes aegypti has “poor visual acuity” the effectiveness of These signals are diminished by possible air currents.
Researchers say that the insect knows it is close to reaching its target when it is less than ten centimeters from human skin, since Detects humidity and heat.
The University of California team, led by Professor Craig Montell, investigated whether the Aedes aegypti It could also use the infrared radiation emitted by all living beings to fine-tune its position.
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The researchers conducted an experiment by placing 80 female mosquitoes in a cage, a few centimeters from two plates, one at a time. ambient temperature of 29.5º Ctypical of a warm country, and the other at human skin temperature: 34.0º C.
This device also allowed the emission of a discreet cloud of carbon dioxide and the diffusion of the smell of human sweat coming from an old glove.
The researchers observed that a single signal, either CO2, odour or infrared radiation from the plate at skin temperature, elicited a very weak response. This was noticeably stronger with a combination of odour and CO2, and maximum by associating infrared radiation, odor and CO2.
The authors hypothesize that “infrared detection could be widely used by mosquitoes to target warm-blooded hosts.” If so, the researchers mention the possibility of designing “more effective traps”.
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