Skin microbes steer which mosquitoes bite you, Florida study finds

A Florida study of three common mosquito species (Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus) shows that individual skin odors and microbes influence how attractive someone is to each species, with little overlap—no person was a universal magnet. The work used a uniport olfactometer on 119 participants to link specific skin bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium) and odor compounds to attraction, revealing both shared attractants (like certain fruity esters) and distinct preferences (ketones for Ae. albopictus, alpha-pinene for Cx quinquefasciatus). Findings could guide new repellents and probiotic approaches to reduce bites and disease risk.