Mosquitoes pick victims according to DNA, new study shows
Scientists conducted experiments on 37 sets of twins to explain why the disease-carrying insects aim for some people and spare others
Are you a mosquito magnet? If so, your genes may be to blame. New research shows that if mosquitoes are attracted to the scent of a particular woman, they are likely to be attracted to her twin's scent as well. On the flip side, if they are repelled by a female's odour, they're likely to find her twin repellent, too.
Scientists tested 37 sets of twins who were willing to place their hands in a Y-shaped glass tube. Groups of 20 mosquitoes were released into the tube and given 30 seconds to assess the scents inside. Then a gate opened, allowing them to fly toward hands they preferred and away from those they disliked.
After running versions of the experiment 40 times with each set of twins, they found that the overlap in mosquito preference was about twice as high for identical twins, who share virtually all their DNA, as it was for fraternal twins, who share only half.
That allowed them to calculate that 62 per cent to 83 per cent of a person's degree of mosquito attractiveness is determined by DNA, according to a study published on Wednesday in the scientific journal PLOS One.
To put that into perspective, other studies have found that genes are about 80 per cent responsible for a person's height and 50 per cent to 80 per cent responsible for a person's IQ.
Scientists knew that biology played a role in either attracting or repelling mosquitoes.