{"id":159505,"date":"2023-05-16T06:18:40","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T06:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/culture.org\/?p=159505"},"modified":"2023-05-16T06:18:40","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T06:18:40","slug":"unusual-suspect-soap-scents-lure-disease-carrying-mosquitoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culture.org\/special-interest\/unusual-suspect-soap-scents-lure-disease-carrying-mosquitoes\/","title":{"rendered":"Unusual Suspect: Soap Scents Lure Disease-Carrying Mosquitoes"},"content":{"rendered":"           <!--  <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n                jQuery(document).ready(function() {\r\n                    jQuery(\".key-accordion-item .key-menu\").on(\"click\", function() {\r\n                        if (jQuery(this).parent().hasClass(\"active\")) {\r\n                            jQuery(this).next().slideUp();\r\n                            jQuery(this).parent().removeClass(\"active\");\r\n                        } else {\r\n                            jQuery(\".key-content\").slideUp();\r\n                            jQuery(\".key-accordion-item\").removeClass(\"active\");\r\n                            jQuery(this).parent().addClass(\"active\");\r\n                            jQuery(this).next().slideDown();\r\n                        }\r\n                    });\r\n                })\r\n            <\/script> -->\r\n\r\n\r\n            <!-- start html -->\r\n\r\n            <div class=\"news-key-takeaway-wapper\">\r\n                                <span style=\"background-color:#39b54a;\">Key Takeaways<\/span>\r\n                <ul class=\"news-key-nbox\" style=\"border-color:#39b54a;background-color:rgba(57, 181, 74, 0.1);\">\r\n                                                        <li>Soap Fragrances and Mosquito Attraction: A study from Virginia Tech has discovered that the fragrances in our everyday soaps can influence a mosquito's preference for a human host. The research suggests that specific soap scents can significantly attract or repel disease-carrying mosquitoes.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>Understanding Mosquito Host Preference: Mosquitoes, particularly the female Aedes aegypti, are responsible for spreading deadly diseases. The study aims to understand the factors that influence mosquito preference for certain human hosts, as approximately 20% of potential human hosts are responsible for about 80% of mosquito-borne disease transmissions.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>Experimental Setup: The study involved a small group of volunteers. Researchers identified the unique odor profiles of individuals and then exposed female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to fabrics worn by the volunteers after using different soap brands. The results showed that soap application altered human scent, with specific soap chemicals and individual body odor playing a role in mosquito attractiveness.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>Potential Implications: The findings could have implications for product development and disease prevention strategies. The research suggests the possibility of designing mosquito-repelling soaps or traps. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings and explore additional factors.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>Innovative Solutions and Disease Control: Understanding the chemistry behind mosquito preferences could lead to the development of soaps that repel mosquitoes while being pleasant for humans. This knowledge may also aid in devising effective strategies to control mosquito populations and limit the spread of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.<\/li>\r\n                                                <\/ul>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            \n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A groundbreaking study from Virginia Tech has uncovered an unexpected culprit in the attraction of dangerous mosquitoes: the fragrances in our everyday soaps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The research suggests that the scent of particular soaps can significantly influence a mosquito&#8217;s preference for a human host.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Decoding the Mosquito\u2019s Choice of Host<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mosquitoes, especially the female Aedes aegypti, are notorious for spreading deadly diseases, causing more than a million deaths each year globally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Curiously, these insects are not indiscriminate in choosing their targets; about 80% of mosquito-borne disease transmissions are attributed to roughly 20% of potential human hosts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding the factors that influence mosquito preference is crucial in combating these disease vectors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previous studies have highlighted certain human body odor chemicals that lure mosquitoes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the effect of additional scents, such as those from soaps, on mosquito preference remained largely unexplored until this recent study.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>                        <!-- <div class=\"container-c\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- <div class=\"row justify-content-between\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- <div class=\"col-post-800\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- start html -->\r\n                        <div class=\"blockquote-wapper\">\r\n                            <div>\r\n                                <span class=\"text_quot\">\r\n                                    <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Curiously, these insects are not indiscriminate in choosing their targets; about 80% of mosquito-borne disease transmissions are attributed to roughly 20% of potential human hosts.<\/span><\/p>\n                                <\/span>\r\n\r\n                                <div class=\"quot_icon\">\r\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-content\/themes\/culture\/icons\/i_quot.svg\" type=\"image\/svg+xml\">\r\n                                <\/div>\r\n                            <\/div>\r\n\r\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"quot_tick\" src=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-content\/themes\/culture\/icons\/i_quot_tri.svg\" type=\"image\/svg+xml\">\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n                        <!-- end html -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                                    <\/h2>\n<h2><b>Unmasking the Scent of Attraction<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The research involved a four-person volunteer group. Scientists first determined the unique odor profiles of the individuals and then introduced them to four distinct soap brands &#8211; Dial, Dove, Native, and Simple Truth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Post washing, the team exposed female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to fabrics worn by the volunteers before and after they used the soaps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The findings revealed a significant alteration in human scent following soap application, primarily due to the addition of plant-emitted chemicals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notably, the interplay between specific soap chemicals and an individual&#8217;s body odor played a decisive role in determining the person&#8217;s attractiveness to mosquitoes post-soap application.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For some participants, using Dove and Simple Truth soaps heightened their appeal to mosquitoes, while Native soap seemed to discourage the insects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team also isolated potential soap chemicals that might influence mosquito behavior, with a coconut-scented compound standing out as a potent repellent.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Implications and Future Prospects<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the small sample size, the study&#8217;s revelations could potentially influence product development and disease prevention strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The data suggest the possibility of designing mosquito-repelling soaps or mosquito traps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, caution is necessary when interpreting these findings until they are replicated with larger sample sizes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The researchers aim to secure more funding to expand their study, testing an extensive range of soaps and volunteers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also aim to explore additional factors, such as the persistence of a soap&#8217;s effect and the role of exhaled carbon dioxide in mosquito attraction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The insights from this research could lead to innovative solutions to manage mosquito-borne diseases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If we can understand the chemistry that underpins mosquito preferences, we may be able to create soaps that keep mosquitoes at bay while pleasing our senses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, this knowledge could aid in devising effective strategies to control mosquito populations, thereby curtailing the spread of lethal diseases.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":159506,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[411],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-159505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-special-interest"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159505"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159505"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159505\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}