In an advance toward providing
mosquito-plagued people, pets and livestock with an invisibility cloak
against these blood-sucking insects, scientists today described
discovery of substances that occur naturally on human skin and block
mosquitoes' ability to smell and target their victims.
Ulrich Bernier, Ph.D., who gave the talk, cited the pressing need for
better ways to combat mosquitoes. Far from being just a nuisance,
mosquitoes are more deadly to humans than any other animal. Their bites
transmit malaria and other diseases that kill an estimated one million
people around the world each year. In the United States, mosquitoes
spread rare types of encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. They
also transmit heart worms to pet dogs and cats.
"Repellents have been the mainstay for preventing mosquito bites," said Bernier. "The most widely used repellant, DEET, is quite effective and has been in use for a long time. However, some people don't like the feel or the smell of DEET. We are exploring a different approach, with substances that impair the mosquito's sense of smell. If a mosquito can't sense that dinner is ready, there will be no buzzing, no landing and no bite."
