How Zika and Dengue May Make Humans More Attractive to Mosquitoes

Zika and dengue viruses alter the odor of humans and the mice they infect, reveals new research published in the scientific journal Cell. This makes them more attractive to the transmitters of the pathogen, the mosquitoes.

Spread in tropical areas such as Brazil, dengue causes fever, rashes and painful pain — and can be fatal.

Zika can cause birth defects if pregnant women become infected, but most adults have mild or asymptomatic cases and usually recover within a few days.

Scientists from several Chinese laboratories, including the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Tsinghua University in Beijing, found that odorous molecules on the skin of dengue mice made them much more susceptible to mosquito bites.

The most attractive molecule, acetophenone, which increases in people and mice with dengue or Zika, was then applied to the hands of human volunteers.

Researchers are now looking for treatments that focus on acetophenone.

It is estimated that there are up to 400 million dengue infections every year. And Zika has been reported in 86 countries around the world.

Brazil faced a new dengue epidemic this year, in the face of intense and prolonged rains. Understand here.

Data from the Ministry of Health point to 585 deaths from January to June 20, 2022 due to dengue in the country. The number is more than double last year’s total, from January to December, when 246 people died from the disease.

Viruses are most common in South and Central America, Africa, the Caribbean and parts of Asia.

Yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile disease are also viruses in the Zika family.

how to protect yourself

In addition to public policies, experts call attention to individual responsibilities in combating dengue.

Here come those classic recommendations to avoid any unprotected stagnant water reservoir at home. The mosquito can use large spaces as breeding grounds, such as water tanks and open pools, even small objects, such as bottle caps and plant pots.

It is worth cleaning the yard and balcony, paying special attention to deposits, gutters and objects that are outside and can accumulate rainwater.

Installing screens on doors and windows or using repellents on the skin are attitudes that can also help.

Finally, it is important to be aware of the symptoms of dengue, such as fever, tiredness, redness in parts of the body, itching and pain in the head, muscles, joints or behind the eyes.

After the diagnosis of the disease, the recommendation is to rest, improve hydration and, if necessary, use medicines that relieve some of these discomforts.

Here, understand how to differentiate the symptoms of dengue from the omicron variant of Covid-19.

– This text was originally published in https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/geral-62010241