research reveals why mosquitoes selects specially You .. !!

There are some perceptions ~ when one stands in a bus stand waiting for a particular bus, one is inclined to believe that the other routes have more frequency and well-served.  In public places, when one stands and is bitten by a mosquito, one feels that mosquitoes have a special liking for ‘self’ leaving out others !!

There are some names which are associated with bad things and ‘Aedes’ is perhaps one – derived out of Greek aedes, meaning "unpleasant" or "odious". The all important red coloured body fluid which supplies oxygen to tissues gets affected by Aedes – coagulation, a complex process by which blood forms clots gets affected. Aedes is a genus of mosquito originally found in tropical and subtropical zones, but now found on all continents excluding Antarctica.  The feared fever ‘dengue’ is linked to - Aedes aegypti, a mosquito.  The mosquitoes are a family of small, midge-like flies: the Culicidae. Although a few species are harmless or even useful to humanity, most are considered a nuisance because they consume blood from living vertebrates, including humans.  When half-asleep, a pierce to one’s skin, leaving behind an itchy red welt and possibly even a serious illness.

There was a time when ‘mambalam mosquitoes’ were famous – now you have them in every area -  be it – Triplicane, Mylapore, Medavakkam, Madipakkam, Parrys, Velachery  – name any area – most popular myths have been exploded – they are found on every floor of very tall structures too. All mosquitoes must have open or stagnant  water to complete their life cycle. This water can range in quality from melted snow water to sewage effluent and it can be in any container imaginable.

Now, Australian researchers believe they are closer to discovering why mosquitoes bite some people more than others. Researchers have discovered that it is female mosquitoes that do the biting and different breeds have different tastes. Another researcher has claimed that consuming beer or alcohol can make you more attractive to some breeds of mosquitoes, reports Nine News.  Mosquito expert Dr Cameron Webb said he thinks his team have found a more scientific answer to what makes us more enticing than others. 'We think it comes down to the carbon dioxide we breathe out, but also the chemical cocktail they breathe out on our skin,' he said.

Avoiding mosquitoes is a significant health concern, with almost 5000 Australians a year contracting a mosquito-borne infectious disease known as Ross River Virus. Mosquito experts urge people to make sure their garden is mosquito free by draining the pot plants and plant dishes, as well as keeping a good repellent on hand,  with the optimum brand being those which contains DEET, also known as diethyltoluamide.  According to Australian researchers, there  are currently 300 types of mosquitoes in Australia, and their numbers are set to rise as temperatures increase over summer. "Laying a few hundred eggs a day while they're breeding, population levels build quite quickly," pest controller is quoted as saying.

There are already plenty of urban myths on how to keep mosquitoes from biting, including eating garlic, consuming high doses of Vitamin B, or avoiding too much sugar. While there is currently no scientific evidence as to why some of us are more attractive to mosquitoes than others, researchers do know it is female mosquitoes that do the biting, and different breeds have different tastes. Mosquito expert Dr Cameron Webb told 9NEWS some studies have shown consuming beer or alcohol can make you more attractive to some types of mosquito, but not all. Dr Webb said he believes his team has found a more scientific answer to why some of us are a little more appealing to the tiny pests than others. (source : www.9news.com.au/health)

Getting back to Triplicane, those days the guppies fish  were dispensed in wells as they would eat larvae of mosquito and can effectively control mosquito growth.   Guppies were found to be highly adaptable and thrive in many different environmental and ecological conditions.  Though not native here, guppy fish have been introduced to many different countries on every continent except Antarctica. Sometimes this has occurred accidentally, but most often as a means of mosquito control. The mosquito in Enthiran that would bite Aishwarya Rai ~ after which Robo Rajini would run, find it in a slum, catch and present it – was named ‘Ranguski’ – perhaps the nickname of my favourite writer Sujatha, whose story was filmed by Shankar.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

2nd Jan 2015.