Did you know drinking alcohol can attract malaria mosquitoes?

Want to prevent mosquito bites? Avoid drinking.

By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | | Published: January 8, 2018 10:20 am

Am I wrong if I say mosquitoes are present 365 days a week? During rains, you can find mosquitoes (laying eggs or as larvae) in stagnant water, stored water buckets or pots in window sills. And even other seasons, you can spot mosquitoes in every nook and corner of your house, especially at night, when you sleep and these little creatures dance around your ears creating the buzzing sound which wakes you up.

It is not just the season or the environment, which makes you attract mosquitoes, even things like alcohol can make you a mosquito magnet. Yes! According to a study published in the Journal of The American Mosquito Control Association drinking alcohol can stimulation mosquito attraction. Also, read about top 10 favourite spots of mosquitoes.

It is a known fact that mosquito bite can land you in the hospital as it can increase the risk of contracting mosquito-borne viral infections such as malaria, dengue and Zika. The study [1] reported that the percent of mosquitoes landing on volunteers significantly increased after beer ingestion than before. It concluded that people drinking alcohol should be careful about their increased risk to mosquito bites and therefore exposure to mosquito-borne diseases. Here is the list of diseases caused by mosquitoes (other than dengue and malaria).

Another study [2] which was conducted to study the effect of beer consumption on human attractiveness to malaria mosquitoes proved positive results. The study showed that water consumption had no effect on human attractiveness to An. gambiae mosquitoes, but beer consumption increased volunteer attractiveness. Moreover, body odours of volunteers who consumed beer increased mosquito activation and orientation.

Hence, if you are an alcoholic or consume alcohol regularly, it is wise to keep a tab on your intake. This is because alcohol doesn’t only attract mosquitoes but also increase your risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Also, read about other common side effects of alcohol.

References:

Shirai O, Tsuda T, Kitagawa S, Naitoh K, Seki T, Kamimura K, Morohashi M. Alcohol ingestion stimulates mosquito attraction. J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 2002 Jun;18(2):91-6. PubMed PMID: 12083361.
Lefèvre T, Gouagna LC, Dabiré KR, Elguero E, Fontenille D, Renaud F, Costantini C, Thomas F. Beer consumption increases human attractiveness to malaria mosquitoes. PLoS One. 2010 Mar 4;5(3):e9546. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009546. PubMed PMID: 20209056; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2832015.

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Published : January 8, 2018 10:20 am

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