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Why some people are itching and scratching while others seem unaffected

By HEIDI MITCHELL, WSJ

Why do some people attract mosquito bites more than others? Heidi Mitchell explains on Lunch Break.

It is peak mosquito season, and while some lucky outdoor venturers seem unperturbed by the tiny insects, others appear to be relentlessly assaulted. Scientists are trying to understand what makes certain humans more attractive to the bugs. One expert, molecular vector biologist L.J. Zwiebel, a professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, weighs in.

Sweet Smell of Success

Mosquitoes find their mammalian prey through sensing the heat and carbon dioxide mammals emit. Pregnant women and larger people are sometimes the victim of multiple attacks, since they exert more energy than the average person.

Mosquitoes are also guided by their sense of smell. "Despite what my grandmother told me, I don't have sweet blood," says Dr. Zwiebel, since mosquitoes cannot distinguish blood quality. "Mosquitoes are attracted to our human odor, and that is largely a consequence of the bacteria on our skin," says Dr. Zwiebel. The "flora and fauna on our skin" also smell appetizing to mosquitoes, says Dr. Zweibel, and these can increase when we sweat or spend a lot of time outdoors.

As far as Dr. Zwiebel knows, there is no scientific basis to prove that having high cholesterol or diabetes, despite what some websites claim, will keep bugs away. Nor will taking vitamin B.

(More here.)