The Other Reason Mosquitoes Want to Suck Your Blood

The Other Reason Mosquitoes(məˈskētō) Want to Suck(sək) Your Blood(bləd)

Mosquitoes are more likely to bite(bīt) hosts(hōst) when they are thirsty(ˈTHərstē), possibly(ˈpäsəblē) increasing disease(diˈzēz) spread(spred)

By Rachel Nuwer

Mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest(ˈdedlē) animals(ˈanəməl), transmitting(trans-,tranzˈmit) diseases(diˈzēz) that kill hundreds of thousands of people annually(ˈanyo͞oəlē). Only the females(ˈfēˌmāl) bite, to acquire(əˈkwī(ə)r) protein(ˈprōˌtēn) to make their eggs. But blood can also serve as a refreshing beverage(ˈbev(ə)rij) on a hot, dry(drī) day.

A new study finds that dehydrated(dēˈhīdrāt) mosquitoes are more aggressive(əˈgresiv), land more often on hosts and feed more frequently than those with ready access(ˈakˌses) to water. In quenching(kwenCH) their thirst(THərst), they may also increase the spread of disease, says Joshua(ˈjäSHo͞oə) Benoit, a biologist(bīˈäləjəst) at the University of Cincinnati(ˌsinsəˈnatē) and senior(ˈsēnyər) author(ˈôTHər) of the study, published in May in Scientific(ˌsīənˈtifik) Reports.

Because some mosquitoes lay their eggs on water, researchers have long assumed that wetter conditions lead to more mosquito-borne(bôrn) illness. Yet recent studies have hinted(hint) at the opposite(ˈäpəzit), linking increased transmission(transˈmiSHən,tranz-
) of diseases such as West Nile(nīl) fever(ˈfēvər) to droughts(drout). Benoit and his colleagues(ˈkälˌēg
)’ discovery helps to resolve(-ˈzôlv,riˈzälv) these counterintuitive(ˌkountərinˈt(y)o͞oitiv) findings.

“It’s not just as simple as saying, ‘If it’s wet, there will be more mosquitoes and more disease transmission,’” Benoit says.

…
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-other-reason-mosquitoes-want-to-suck-your-blood/