Human skin chemistry determines which mosquito species are attracted to individuals, according to a study published in iScience by researchers at Florida International University. The research, announced on Aug. 7, involved 119 volunteers and three major disease-carrying mosquito species: Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito), and Culex quinquefasciatus (southern house mosquito). The team found that no individual was universally attractive to all three species; instead, each mosquito type had its own preference based on the person's body chemistry.
The study's findings suggest that attraction is largely driven by unique chemical cues emitted from human skin. "Isolating the components of human odor that attract or repel mosquitoes could lead to novel strategies to combat vector-borne diseases," said Matthew DeGennaro, a neurogeneticist who leads the research team and directs the Biomolecular Sciences Institute at FIU.
Ph.D. student Kaylee Marrero led the study and highlighted its novelty as the first direct comparison of how multiple mosquito species respond to the same people. "We didn't expect the species to prefer different people when we started the study," Marrero said. "Each species having a distinct microbial signature that they use as a cue was so surprising to me." The research showed that each mosquito type has specific 'turn-ons' and 'turn-offs,' indicating evolved differences in how they sense humans.
The team collected both odor and microbiome samples from participants to analyze which compounds and bacteria were present on their skin. Human scent consists of more than 1,000 volatile organic compounds—many still uncharacterized—and rather than agreeing on who was most attractive, each mosquito consistently favored different subsets of people.
"This connected so well with the differences in skin bacteria and odors," DeGennaro said. "It is clear to me now that our skin microbiomes define our human odor signature. Each species found its own way to decode that signature." By mapping these chemical cues specific to each species, researchers aim to lay groundwork for developing targeted repellents and public health strategies tailored for regional disease threats.
