Indian-origin scientist identifies chemicals to fool blood-thirsty mosquitoes

Washington, June 2 (ANI): Female mosquitoes hunt their human blood meals by detecting organic substances such as carbon dioxide exhaled by the host.

But soon, mosquito bites could become nothing more than a bad memory, as a study led by an Indian-origin researcher has identified three types of odor molecules that disrupt the carbon dioxide-sensing machinery of mosquitoes.

One molecule switches the mosquitoes' olfactory nerves "on" for prolonged periods, one turns the olfactory nerves "off" and a third type mimics carbon dioxide.

According to Anandasankar Ray of the University of California, Riverside, the finding could lead to a new generation of repellents and lures that might help prevent mosquito-borne human diseases such as yellow fever and West Nile virus as well as malaria and dengue. (ANI)