Scientific research on factors attracting mosquitoes to humans

Research from the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, as reported by AFP, indicates that mosquitoes do not select human targets randomly. Scientists Frédéric Simard and Rickard Ignell explain that mosquitoes rely on a complex set of biological and chemical signals. Key attractants include body odor, skin temperature, and the carbon dioxide humans exhale. Carbon dioxide serves as the primary signal that alerts mosquitoes to a target from tens of meters away. Once within approximately ten meters, other sensory inputs come into play. Only female mosquitoes bite humans, as they require blood for the reproductive process. Studies clarify that attractiveness is not constant and can change based on various factors, such as body chemistry or pregnancy. Notably, these findings differentiate between environmental factors and myths, such as the widely held belief that blood type is the primary determinant.