A new study by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine finds that malarial parasites make mosquitoes more attracted to human odor.
Researchers have found that mosquitoes carrying malaria parasites are three times more attracted to human odor than uninfected mosquitoes. Such parasites take total control of their hosts and boost their smelling sense.
Dr James Logan from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said: "One thing that always surprises me about parasites is how clever they are. They are these ever-evolving organisms that seem to be one step ahead of us the whole time."
For the study, scientists infected 100 malaria mosquitoes with the deadliest form of the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. These insects were placed in a container of stockings that 20 human volunteers had worn. Logan says nylon stockings are the best way to collect human odor as the odor stays on for days.
The experiment was then repeated with uninfected mosquitoes and researchers found that the infected mosquitoes were more attracted to the nylon stockings than the uninfected ones. According to scientists, it is the parasite that manipulates the mosquito's smell sense.
"We think it is giving them a heightened sense of smell. We are hypothesizing there is an alteration somewhere in their olfactory system that allows them to find us quicker."
By altering the mosquito's olfactory path these parasites make humans an easier target, guaranteeing them an entry into the blood stream, which is crucial for their survival.
Logan and his team have received funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to conduct a three-year study on how parasites manage to manipulate mosquitoes' sense of smell.
"If we know how the parasite is able to manipulate the olfactory system... perhaps we can identify new attractants for infected mosquitoes and we will be able to increase our efficiency with trapping techniques," concluded Logan.
The study was published in the journal Plos One.
