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<div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/mosquitos.mp3' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Why Do Mosquitoes Choose to Bite You?' data-article-id='676'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='11837'>Mosquitoes have an extraordinary ability to target humans far away and fly straight to their unprotected skin. </span> <span data-start-time='11837' data-end-time='18390'>Regrettably, mosquitoes can do more than cause an itchy wound. </span> <span data-start-time='18390' data-end-time='28163'>Some mosquitoes spread several serious diseases, including Dengue, yellow fever and malaria.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='28163' data-end-time='36803'>Over one million people worldwide die from these mosquito-borne diseases each year. </span> <span data-start-time='36803' data-end-time='43673'>New research now shows how mosquitoes choose who to bite.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='43673' data-end-time='50023'>Mosquitoes need blood to survive.</span> <span data-start-time='50023' data-end-time='55170'>They are attracted to human skin and breath. </span> <span data-start-time='55170' data-end-time='62268'>They smell the carbon dioxide gas -- which all mammals breathe out. </span> <span data-start-time='62268' data-end-time='69728'>This gas is how mosquitoes know that a warm-blooded creature is nearby.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='69728' data-end-time='75737'>But mosquitoes also use their eyes and sense of touch. </span> <span data-start-time='75737' data-end-time='82902'>Michael Dickinson is a professor at the California Institute of Technology. </span> <span data-start-time='82902' data-end-time='93991'>His research shows how these small insects, with even smaller brains, use three senses to find a blood meal. </span> </p><p><span data-start-time='93991' data-end-time='109093'>We suspected from research that we had been doing on fruit flies that vision might play a very large and underappreciated role in allowing the mosquito to really home in on the potential host target.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='109093' data-end-time='122041'>Michael Dickinson's team used plumes material that rises into the air -- of carbon dioxide gas into a wind tunnel. </span> <span data-start-time='122041' data-end-time='127188'>They then used cameras to record the mosquitoes. </span> <span data-start-time='127188' data-end-time='131497'>The insects followed the plume.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='131497' data-end-time='140544'>Then, the scientists placed dark objects on the lighter colored floor and walls of the tunnel. </span> <span data-start-time='140544' data-end-time='149365'>Mr. Dickinson said, at first, the mosquitoes showed no interest in the objects at all.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='149365' data-end-time='161474'>What was quite striking and quite surprising is that the mosquitos fly back and forth for hours--these are hungry females--and they completely ignore the objects on the floor and wall of the tunnel.</span> <span data-start-time='161474' data-end-time='171610'>But the moment that they get a hit of CO2, they change their behavior quite dramatically and now would become attracted to these little visual blobs.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='171610' data-end-time='181497'>This suggested to the researchers that a mosquito’s sense of smell is more important in the search for food. </span> <span data-start-time='181497' data-end-time='189751'>Once mosquitoes catch a smell of a human or animal, they also follow visual cues.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='189751' data-end-time='198413'>This really makes a lot of sense because if the mosquitoes were distracted by every visual object in their world, they would just waste all their time. </span> <span data-start-time='198413' data-end-time='206009'>This case, they only start paying attention when their nose tells them that there might be a host nearby.</span> <span data-start-time='206009' data-end-time='212608'>This process happens several times over the course of a mosquito's flight. </span> <span data-start-time='212608' data-end-time='215374'>Michael Dickinson explains.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='215374' data-end-time='221927'>What some of the details of our experiments indicated is that it's very hard to fool them over the long run.</span> <span data-start-time='221927' data-end-time='231088'>They will always get their man or woman over time because they'll just keep repeating this strategy until they find a yummy meal.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='231088' data-end-time='237052'>Matt DeGennaro is a scientist at Florida International University. </span> <span data-start-time='237052' data-end-time='247098'>He says understanding a mosquito’s way of finding its host could help prevent those insects from biting. </span> <span data-start-time='247098' data-end-time='254649'>He is working to create genetic changes that affect the mosquito's sense of smell.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='254649' data-end-time='259524'>We need to know which genes control this process at all these different stages.</span> <span data-start-time='259524' data-end-time='277007'>And then we can use that knowledge to design a new perfume that could block the mosquito's sensation of us or could trigger certain receptors that signal danger to the mosquito and then cause them to stay away.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='277007' data-end-time='292109'>The study, published in Current Biology, details the steps of the mosquito's flight so that we may one day have a fighting chance against the biting insect.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='292109' data-end-time='295374'>I’m Marsha James.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/mosq_image.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=3560 data-hint-location='161474' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/what_does_blob_mean.m4a'>What does blob mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='something that does not have a regular shape'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/to_trigger_an_event.m4a'><span>to trigger an event</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/very_appealing.m4a'><span>very appealing</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/something_that_does_not_have_a_regular_shape.m4a'><span>something that does not have a regular shape</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/not_appreciated.m4a'><span>not appreciated</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=3561 data-hint-location='259524' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/what_does_trigger_mean.m4a'>What does trigger mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='to cause something to start or happen'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/to_cause_something_to_start_or_happen.m4a'><span>to cause something to start or happen</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/very_appealing.m4a'><span>very appealing</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/a_blob.m4a'><span>a blob</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/not_appreciated.m4a'><span>not appreciated</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=3562 data-hint-location='93991' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/what_does_underappreciated_mean.m4a'>What does underappreciated mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='not given the respect or thanks that is deserved'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/to_trigger_an_event.m4a'><span>to trigger an event</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/very_appealing.m4a'><span>very appealing</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/a_blob.m4a'><span>a blob</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/not_given_the_respect_or_thanks_that_is_deserved.m4a'><span>not given the respect or thanks that is deserved</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=3563 data-hint-location='55170' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/what_gas_tells_a_mosquito_who_to_bite.m4a'>What gas tells a mosquito who to bite?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='carbon dioxide'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/carbon_dioxide.m4a'><span>carbon dioxide</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/carbon_monoxide.m4a'><span>carbon monoxide</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/methane.m4a'><span>methane</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/oxygen.m4a'><span>oxygen</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=3564 data-hint-location='43673' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/what_do_mosquitoes_need_to_survive.m4a'>What do mosquitoes need to survive?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='blood'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/water.m4a'><span>water</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/blood.m4a'><span>blood</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/oxygen.m4a'><span>oxygen</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/grass.m4a'><span>grass</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=3565 data-hint-location='18390' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/what_can_mosquitoes_spread.m4a'>What can mosquitoes spread?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='disease'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/flu.m4a'><span>flu</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/germs.m4a'><span>germs</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/disease.m4a'><span>disease</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/pain.m4a'><span>pain</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=3566 data-hint-location='171610' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/a_mosquitos_sense_of__blank__is_most_important_in_the_search_for_food.m4a'>A mosquito's sense of <span class='blank'>smell</span> is most important in the search for food.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='smell'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/hearing.m4a'><span>hearing</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/touch.m4a'><span>touch</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/taste.m4a'><span>taste</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/smell.m4a'><span>smell</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=3567 data-hint-location='50023' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/mosquitoes_are_attracted_to__blank__skin_and_breath.m4a'>Mosquitoes are attracted to <span class='blank'>human</span> skin and breath.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='human'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/human.m4a'><span>human</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/dead.m4a'><span>dead</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/bad.m4a'><span>bad</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/animal.m4a'><span>animal</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=3568 data-hint-location='36803' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/research_shows_that_mosquitoes_choose_who_to__blank_.m4a'>Research shows that mosquitoes choose who to <span class='blank'>bite</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='bite'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/harm.m4a'><span>harm</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/bite.m4a'><span>bite</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/land_on.m4a'><span>land on</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/351/eat.m4a'><span>eat</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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