Mosquitoes choose their victims, new study finds

A new scientific study explains why mosquitoes favor certain people to bite them.

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Researchers have discovered that on the antennae of mosquitoes, there are “receptors” that are able to distinguish the smells of human skin, according to the media Ouest-France.

Mosquitoes are therefore able to tell the difference between animals and humans.

This new study might make it possible to develop more efficient products to repel this insect.

This breakthrough complements research that had previously revealed that mosquitoes are attracted to body heat, CO2 and blood type.

For example, pregnant women attract mosquitoes twice as much because their body temperature is higher and they exhale 20% more carbon dioxide.

People with blood type A or O would be targeted more than those with type B.

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