New Discovery Could Help Take the Bite Out of Mosquito Season

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - A new discovery could help take the bite out of mosquito season.

UC Santa Barbara researchers have identified a taste receptor mosquitoes use to detect fatty acids on human skin.

Those fatty acids are naturally found in our skin oils.

Scientists report the receptor helps guide mosquitoes to their next blood meal.

By understanding how the insects “taste” humans, researchers hope to interrupt the process.

The finding could eventually lead to new repellents designed to block bites before they happen.

“We’ve discovered a taste receptor mosquitoes use to detect fatty acids on human skin, and that opens the door to developing compounds that could block that signal," said Dr. Craig Montell of UC Santa Barbara.

Montell believes the research could help create more effective ways to prevent mosquito bites and the diseases they spread.