Horror new virus fears as mosquitoes thirstier than ever for human blood | World | News
Scientists in South America conducted research on the feeding habits of insects. (Image: Getty)
Scientists studying mosquitoes in a forest area in Brazil found that the insects there are increasingly thirsty for human blood, raising concerns about an increased risk of virus transmission. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.It involved researchers analyzing blood meals of mosquitoes captured in the Atlantic Forest biome in Rio De Janeiro state to learn more about their feeding habits.
Aspects of blood feeding of mosquitoes (Diptera: culicidae) during the twilight period in Atlantic Forest remnants in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro Scientists used light traps to capture mosquitoes in two natural reserves in the state, the Sítio Recanto Preservar and the Guapiacu River Ecological Reserve. They then used DNA sequencing to determine which animals female mosquitoes were gorging on, according to a study. borders Press release detailing the study.
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The team found that most of the blood meals they could identify contained human blood. Of the 1,714 mosquitoes from 52 different species captured, 145 females were engorged with blood. Blood meals consumed by 24 of these could be identified and were obtained from 18 humans, one amphibian, six birds, one canid, and one mouse; some blood meals consisted of more than one source.
The forest is home to a rich variety of wildlife, including hundreds of species of birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and fish. However, only about a third of the forest’s original area remains intact, due to human expansion that has displaced animals from their habitats.
As a result, researchers believe mosquitoes, which once targeted a wide variety of creatures for food, may find new human targets.
Dr., a researcher in microbiology and immunology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a co-author of the study. Sergio Machado explained: “With natural options dwindling, mosquitoes are forced to seek new, alternative blood sources.
“Since we are the most common host in these areas, they feed more on humans for convenience,” he added.
Male and female mosquitoes feed primarily on nectar and plant juices, but females also drink blood and use it as a protein source to produce eggs and reproduce.
This involves biting hosts that are usually harmless, but in study areas mosquitoes spread a variety of viruses such as Yellow Fever, dengue, Zika, Mayaro, Sabiá and Chikungunya, which cause diseases that seriously threaten human health and can even be fatal.
senior author Dr. D., a biologist at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro. “Here we show that the mosquito species we captured in remnants of the Atlantic Forest have a clear preference for feeding on humans,” said Jeronimo Alencar.
The finding is “very important” in an environment such as the Atlantic Forest, where “a wide range of potential vertebrate hosts exist, where a preference for humans significantly increases the risk of pathogen transmission,” he says, but the authors emphasize that the preponderance of human blood discovered could be due to a variety of factors and does not mean that mosquitoes specifically target humans rather than other animals.
These conditions can cause mosquitoes to spread more viral diseases and have negative health consequences for people living in the area.
The team believes that such research they conduct can contribute to better prevention actions.
Hypothesizing why the creatures seem to target humans more, Dr. Alencar said: “The behavior of mosquitoes is complex.
“Although some mosquito species have innate preferences, host availability and proximity are extremely influential factors.”
The study notes that the relatively low proportion of blood-feeding mosquitoes (just under 7%), as well as the low percentage of cases in which blood meals can be identified (around 38%), point to the need for more data-rich studies that should also use more appropriate methods to identify all nutritional sources in mixed blood meals.
Still, Dr. “Knowing that mosquitoes in an area have a strong preference for humans serves as a warning about the risk of transmission,” says Machado.
Dr Alencar: “This enables targeted surveillance and prevention actions. In the long term, this could lead to control strategies that take ecosystem balance into account.”
