Why mosquitoes prefer to bite humans.

A study published in the PLOS Genetics shows that mosquitoes show a preference for humans because of a chromosomal arrangement,so if the genetic basis of bite is eliminated or transferred to other breeds than the scourge of malaria will be erased. The rates of malaria transmission depend on whether mosquitoes bite humans or animals, and whether they rest after that meal in an area where they will encounter pesticides. Anopheles arabiensis,the species of mosquito the primary vector of malaria in east Africa due to its broader host range and the frequent use of pesticide-treated bed nets, which kill other species that live closely with humans. The use of population genomics has established an association between human feeding and a specific chromosomal rearrangement in the major east African malaria vector. The use of genetics to better understand and track mosquito behavior will improve local control strategies and this knowledge will also promote the elimination of malaria's spread, such as genetically modifying mosquitoes to prefer cattle over people. The researchers sequenced the genomes of 23 human-fed and 25 cattle-fed mosquitoes collected indoors and outdoors from the Kilobero Valley in Tanzania. They identified a genetic component that contributes to the mosquito's host choice but not its choice of resting place.