BALTIMORE, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- The creation of new repellants that alter the "flavor" of human beings can save up to 450,000 lives per year, a study on malaria-bearing mosquitos suggests.
The study, which identified various ways in which mosquitos find themselves attracted to human blood, was conducted by Johns Hopkins researchers. The findings were published online in the journal Nature Communications.
"That finding suggests that perhaps mosquitoes don't just like our smell, but also our flavor," Christopher Potter said in a press release. "It's likely that the odorants coming off our skin are picked up by the labella and influence the preferred taste of our skin, especially when the mosquito is looking for a place to bite."
Potter went on to add that the research team's findings may offer a new way to repel mosquitoes and slow the spread of malaria, a disease commonly transmitted between humans and animals. The infection is curable during its early stages, but has no vaccine.
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After closely examining what draws them to feed in the first place, researchers concluded targeting the taste of human blood may dissuade mosquitoes from biting. A genetic technique that makes certain neurons glow green was used to identify how the mosquitoes receive complex odors. Researchers observed odorant receptors from the labella were received in the subesophageal zone, which thus far has only been associated with the sense of taste.
"This is the first time researchers managed to specifically target sensory neurons in mosquitoes," lead author Olena Riabinina explained. "Previously, we had to use flies as a proxy for all insects, but now we can directly study the sense of smell in the insects that spread malaria."
Potter says repellants that are both pleasing to humans and repulsive to mosquitoes will curb the spread of malaria. The research team's next step will be exploring how the three types of olfactory receptors in mosquitoes influence their behavior.
