This is why you get bitten by mosquitoes MORE than others – and your socks could hold the answer
Previous research has found that mosquitoes are attracted to differences in our body odour
EVER feel like mosquitoes absolutely LOVE you...but don't seem to bite your friends.
You're not imagining it, the pesky bugs really could like some people's blood more than others and the answer could be in your socks.
Experts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have been collecting hundreds of dirty socks to test whether genetic factors play a role in what makes us attractive to skeeters.
They will be honing in on the specific odours of the socks and the genetic make up of their owners, which include 100 twins from Gambia and the UK, to answer the irritating question.
James Logan, a medical entomologist at the school, who is leading the work said: "We know very little about the genetics of what makes us attractive to mosquitoes.
"We hope this study will give us more insights into the mechanisms that help change our body doors to make us more or less attractive to mosquitoes.
"If we can identify important genes, perhaps we could develop a pill or medication that would allow the body to produce natural repellents to keep mosquitoes away."
The findings could help experts improve ways to protect vulnerable people from disease-carrying mosquitoes, according to
We already know there are some differences between us that make us more attractive to the insects.
People who breathe out more carbon dioxide and those who are taller attract more of the bugs, and there is even some evidence to suggest a woman's menstrual cycle may play a role.
How much you drink may also play a role, with booze making us much tastier to mosquitoes.
Two years ago Logan and his team analysed 18 sets of identical twins and 19 sets of non-identical twins to determine who was more attractive to mosquitoes.
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The identical twins were bitten at roughly the same rate whereas the bites varied between non-identical twins.
The findings, build on previous research that suggested mosquitoes were attracted to differences in body odour.
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Logan said: "By investigating the genetic mechanism behind attractiveness to biting insects such as mosquitoes we can move closer to using this knowledge for better ways of keeping us safe from bites and the diseases insects can spread through bites.
"If we understand the genetic basis for variation between individuals it could be possible to develop bespoke ways to control mosquitoes better, and develop new ways to repel them.
"In the future we may even be able to take a pill which will enhance the production of natural repellents by the body and ultimately replace skin lotions."
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