title: Attractiveness of volatiles from different body parts to the malaria mosquito Anopheles coluzzii is affected by deodorant compounds.
abstract: Mosquitoes display biting preferences among different sites of the human body. In addition to height or convection currents, body odour may play a role in the selection of these biting sites. Previous studies have shown that skin emanations are important host-finding cues for mosquitoes. In this study, skin emanations were collected from armpits, hands and feet; the volatile profiles were analysed and tested for their attractiveness to the malaria mosquito Anopheles coluzzii. Skin emanations collected from armpits were less attractive to An. coluzzii compared to hands or/and feet. The difference may have been caused by deodorant residues, which were found in the armpit samples and not in those of hands and feet. In a subsequent experiment, volunteers were asked to avoid using skincare products for five days, and thereafter, no differences in attractiveness of the body parts to mosquitoes were found. The detected deodorant compound isopropyl tetradecanoate inhibited mosquito landings in a repellent bioassay. It is concluded that the volatiles emanated from different body parts induced comparable levels of attraction in mosquitoes, and that skincare products may reduce a person's attractiveness to mosquitoes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Niels O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Verhulst
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Berhane T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Weldegergis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menger
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Takken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003836:Deodorants / Q000737:chemistry*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D018594:Human Body; D006801:Humans; D007302:Insect Repellents / Q000737:chemistry; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003836:Deodorants; D007302:Insect Repellents; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds