They want to suck your blood...

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class="page-header"><span>They want to suck your blood...</span> </h1> <section id="block-ridiculouslyresponsivesocialsharebuttons" class="block block-rrssb block-rrssb-block clearfix"> <div class="rrssb rrssb-bs-default"> <ul class="rrssb-buttons"> <li class="rrssb-facebook"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Flifelines%2F2011%2F06%2F21%2Fthey-want-to-suck-your-blood" class="popup"> <span class="rrssb-icon"></span> <span class="rrssb-text">facebook</span> </a> </li> <li class="rrssb-twitter"> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=They%20want%20to%20suck%20your%20blood...&url=https%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Flifelines%2F2011%2F06%2F21%2Fthey-want-to-suck-your-blood" class="popup"> <span class="rrssb-icon"></span> <span class="rrssb-text">twitter</span> </a> </li> <li class="rrssb-reddit"> <a 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class="rrssb-text">print</span> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </section> <article data-history-node-id="149849" role="article" about="/lifelines/2011/06/21/they-want-to-suck-your-blood" class="blog full clearfix"> <div class="byline"> <article typeof="schema:Person" about="/author/dr-dolittle"> <div class="field field--name-user-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <a href="/author/dr-dolittle" hreflang="en"><img src="/files/styles/thumbnail/public/pictures/LogoForDolittleBlog-120x120_1.jpg?itok=ONp2irQS" width="100" height="100" alt="Profile picture for user dr. dolittle" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /> </a> </div> </article> <div class="author m-bot-30"> By <span><a title="View user profile." href="/author/dr-dolittle" lang="" about="/author/dr-dolittle" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">dr. dolittle</a></span> on June 21, 2011. </div> </div> <div class="content"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><a href="http://scienceblogs.com/lifelines/exp_insect100.jpg"><img src="http://scienceblogs.com/lifelines/wp-content/blogs.dir/336/files/2012/04/i-3b64381e8ec6d13a9b7d5f9e5a6cdc60-exp_insect100-thumb-200x156-66460.jpg" alt="i-3b64381e8ec6d13a9b7d5f9e5a6cdc60-exp_insect100-thumb-200x156-66460.jpg" /></a></p> <p>I hate this time of year when mosquitoes come out in droves to feast on unsuspecting victims. If only garlic and silver crosses worked...</p> <p>The problem with mosquitoes is that they are known to transmit numerous diseases such as malaria, west nile virus, yellow fever, rift valley fever, dengue fever, LaCrosse virus, heartworm, and various forms of encephalitis. </p> <p>Humans are certainly not the only victim of the wrath of mosquitoes. These mosquito born diseases also infect numerous animals. </p> <p>We can thank the mosquito digestive tract for limiting the types of diseases the insect may transmit. This is because when a mosquito ingests an infectious agent, it must survive the digestive system in order for the mosquito to pass it along through their saliva. This means that mosquitoes cannot transmit diseases like HIV that are digested and therefore never enter the salivary glands. Some infectious agents actually avoid being digested by boring their way out of the mosquito's stomach. </p> <p>Interestingly, it is only the female mosquito that actually bites. <a href="http://scienceline.org/2007/09/ask-knight-mosquitoes/">This website </a>offers some clues as to why mosquitoes seem to be attracted to certain people more than others. </p> <p>Sources:</p> <p><a href="http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/disease.htm">Rutgers Center for Vector Biology</a>. </p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Tags</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/tag/life-science-0" hreflang="en">Life Science</a></div> </div> </div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="comment-forbidden"><a href="/user/login?destination=/lifelines/2011/06/21/they-want-to-suck-your-blood%23comment-form">Log in</a> to post comments</li></ul> </div> <div class="region region-content-bottom"> <section class="views-element-container block block-views block-views-blocksolr-blocks-likethis clearfix" id="block-views-block-solr-blocks-likethis-2"> <h3 class="block-title">More like this</h3> <div class="row"> <div class="form-group"><div class="view view-solr-blocks view-id-solr_blocks view-display-id-likethis js-view-dom-id-dc611aff6f3e779e298a70bb4c62f59f69274f11c0834365149257c0fb3ca61a"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="col-sm-6 eq-height views-row"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/effectmeasure/2007/11/19/previous-mosquito-bites-increa" hreflang="und">Previous mosquito bites increase risk of later West Nile infection</a></h5></div> <div class="views-field views-field-body"><span class="field-content">You become infected with West Nile Virus (WNV) when a mosquito vector bites you. As the mosquito sucks your blood (the protein meal makes it possible for her to ovulate), she replaces some of it with her saliva. The virus is in the saliva and if it finds a suitable cell to infect, we're off to the…</span></div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 eq-height views-row"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/notrocketscience/2009/12/24/one-parasite-to-rule-them-all-wolbachia-protects-against-m" hreflang="und">One parasite to rule them all - Wolbachia protects against mosquito-borne diseases</a></h5></div> <div class="views-field views-field-body"><span class="field-content">This is an updated version of the first post I wrote this year. The scientists in question were looking at ways of recruiting bacteria in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever. They've just published new results that expand on their earlier experiments. Mosquitoes are…</span></div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 eq-height views-row"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/erv/2011/06/30/powassan-virus-why-did-no-one" hreflang="und">Powassan virus: Why did no one tell me about this???</a></h5></div> <div class="views-field views-field-body"><span class="field-content">[fear mongering post for the year. I really hate ticks, and I cant believe no one has told me about this virus before] I love making exclamations like that. First time I had Indian food: WHY ARE WE NOT EATING THIS ALL THE TIME?? When I learned hand-to-hand combat: WHY ARE WE NOT TEACHING THIS TO…</span></div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 eq-height views-row"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/digitalbio/2009/01/02/mosquitoes" hreflang="und">Protecting health by genetically engineering mosquitoes</a></h5></div> <div class="views-field views-field-body"><span class="field-content">Mosquito-borne diseases, like Dengue and Malaria, are serious problems in many parts of the world. While some people are working on treatments for mosquito-carried disease, others are looking at ways to treat the mosquitoes. Figure 1. Image of Aedes aegypti from the Public Health Library tags…</span></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div class="content comments"> <section> <article data-comment-user-id="0" id="comment-2508578" class="js-comment comment-wrapper clearfix"> <mark class="hidden" data-comment-timestamp="1308665318"></mark> <div class="well"> <strong></strong> <div class="field field--name-comment-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>I don't fall into any of the "odoriferous" categories, but every damn mosquito in the county knows when I step outside the house. My husband is relatively immune. Bah.</p> <p>MORE RESEARCH! Meanwhile, MORE DEET!</p> </div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="comment-forbidden"><a href="/user/login?destination=/lifelines/2011/06/21/they-want-to-suck-your-blood%23comment-form">Log in</a> to post comments</li></ul> </div> <footer> <em>By <span lang="" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Karen (not verified)</span> on 21 Jun 2011 <a href="https://scienceblogs.com/lifelines/2011/06/21/they-want-to-suck-your-blood#comment-2508578">#permalink</a></em> <article typeof="schema:Person" about="/user/0"> <div class="field field--name-user-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <a href="/user/0" hreflang="und"><img src="/files/styles/thumbnail/public/default_images/icon-user.png?itok=yQw_eG_q" width="100" height="100" alt="User Image" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /> </a> </div> </article> </footer> </article> <article data-comment-user-id="0" id="comment-2508579" class="js-comment comment-wrapper clearfix"> <mark class="hidden" data-comment-timestamp="1308843089"></mark> <div class="well"> <strong></strong> <div class="field field--name-comment-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Interesting, I am ichy already</p> </div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="comment-forbidden"><a href="/user/login?destination=/lifelines/2011/06/21/they-want-to-suck-your-blood%23comment-form">Log in</a> to post comments</li></ul> </div> <footer> <em>By <span lang="" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Moose (not verified)</span> on 23 Jun 2011 <a href="https://scienceblogs.com/lifelines/2011/06/21/they-want-to-suck-your-blood#comment-2508579">#permalink</a></em> <article typeof="schema:Person" about="/user/0"> <div class="field field--name-user-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <a href="/user/0" hreflang="und"><img src="/files/styles/thumbnail/public/default_images/icon-user.png?itok=yQw_eG_q" width="100" height="100" alt="User Image" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /> </a> </div> </article> </footer> </article> <article data-comment-user-id="0" id="comment-2508580" class="js-comment comment-wrapper clearfix"> <mark class="hidden" data-comment-timestamp="1309248059"></mark> <div class="well"> <strong></strong> <div class="field field--name-comment-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Are there certain times of the day when humans are more attractive to mosquitoes? Do post menopausal women attract mosquitoes more or less than other women?</p> </div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="comment-forbidden"><a href="/user/login?destination=/lifelines/2011/06/21/they-want-to-suck-your-blood%23comment-form">Log in</a> to post comments</li></ul> </div> <footer> <em>By <span lang="" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Barb (not verified)</span> on 28 Jun 2011 <a href="https://scienceblogs.com/lifelines/2011/06/21/they-want-to-suck-your-blood#comment-2508580">#permalink</a></em> <article typeof="schema:Person" about="/user/0"> <div class="field field--name-user-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <a href="/user/0" hreflang="und"><img src="/files/styles/thumbnail/public/default_images/icon-user.png?itok=yQw_eG_q" width="100" height="100" alt="User Image" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /> </a> </div> </article> </footer> </article> </section> </div> </article> </div> </section> <aside class="col-sm-12 col-md-4" role="complementary"> <div class="region region-sidebar-second"> <section id="block-adss" class="block block-block-content block-block-content95779ed9-5acb-492b-bb1d-e520ee821ff4 clearfix block-ads"> <div class="ads-note">Advertisment</div> <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-5976931228913298" data-ad-slot="2767117744" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </section> <section id="block-donatesmall" class="block block-block-content block-block-content8cd9c878-a7e9-47e1-adad-7406d201e61e clearfix"> <h3 class="block-title">Donate</h3> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>ScienceBlogs is where scientists communicate directly with the public. 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I am happy to inform you that it is not because I am retiring. On the contrary, I am packing up my virtual bags and moving this blog to a new site! Pardon the dust while we get settled into our new digs. </div></div></div> <div class="views-row"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/lifelines/2017/10/30/1-is-there-an-evolutionary-advantage-to-being-stupid" hreflang="und">#1: Is there an evolutionary advantage to "being stupid"?</a></h5></div><div class="views-field views-field-created"><span class="field-content">October 30, 2017</span></div><div class="views-field views-field-body"><div class="field-content">And the #1 blog entry published thus far in 2017 discussed whether there was an evolutionary advantage to being stupid: ---- As I was looking through the scientific literature the other day, I came across an article published in 1973, "The Evolutionary Advantages of Being Stupid." With a title like…</div></div></div> <div class="views-row"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/lifelines/2017/10/25/2-a-truly-extraordinary-octopus" hreflang="und">#2: A Truly Extraordinary Octopus</a></h5></div><div class="views-field views-field-created"><span class="field-content">October 25, 2017</span></div><div class="views-field views-field-body"><div class="field-content">Who could forget the second most popular blog post so far this year. Seeing an octopus walk never gets old! ------- I came across this amazing video on YouTube showing a species of octopus found in Northern Australia that is adapted to walk on land: </div></div></div> <div class="views-row"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/lifelines/2017/10/23/3-zebra-finches-reward-themselves-for-singing-well" hreflang="und">#3: Zebra Finches Reward Themselves for singing well</a></h5></div><div class="views-field views-field-created"><span class="field-content">October 23, 2017</span></div><div class="views-field views-field-body"><div class="field-content">The #3 post so far this year explored how zebra finches reward themselves for singing well: Dopamine is an important hormone released from neurons involved in reward pathways. Researchers at Cornell University wanted to know if dopamine signaling was involved in how birds learn songs. Their…</div></div></div> <div class="views-row"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/lifelines/2017/10/19/4-komodo-dragons-have-antibacterial-blood" hreflang="und">#4: Komodo Dragons have antibacterial blood</a></h5></div><div class="views-field views-field-created"><span class="field-content">October 19, 2017</span></div><div class="views-field views-field-body"><div class="field-content">Here is the 4th most popular post so far this year: Picture of a komodo dragon by CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Researchers studying komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) at George Mason University discovered 48 previously unknown peptides in their blood that might have antimicrobial…</div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </aside> </div> </div> <div class="footer-top-wrapper"> <footer class="footer-top container" role="contentinfo"> <div class="row"> <div class="region region-footer-top"> <section class="views-element-container block block-views block-views-blockcontent-blocks-random clearfix col-xs-12" id="block-views-block-content-blocks-random"> <h3 class="block-title">More reads</h3> <div class="row"> <div class="form-group"><div class="view view-content-blocks view-id-content_blocks view-display-id-random js-view-dom-id-a5c69bc7ecc0309859fc09cbc3c992869e8d2b25f8ea9cc8a5a05f1e9e90c8f7"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row col-sm-4"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/startswithabang/2010/08/11/where-do-meteor-showers-come-f" hreflang="und">Where do Meteor Showers come from?</a></h5></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-blog-image"><div class="field-content"> <a href="/startswithabang/2010/08/11/where-do-meteor-showers-come-f" hreflang="und"><img src="/files/styles/thumbnail_small/public/startswithabang/files/2010/08/Tom-King1.jpeg?itok=L3elTHT3" width="75" height="75" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /> </a> </div></div><div class="views-field views-field-body"><div class="field-content">"Men of genius are often dull and inert in society; as the blazing meteor, when it descends to earth, is only a stone." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Once a year, in mid-August, the Perseid Meteor Shower comes to town. If you're going to see just one meteor shower a year, make it this one. Image credit: Tom King. Some years, there's a bright Moon in the night sky to contend with, like there was…</div></div></div> <div class="views-row col-sm-4"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/startswithabang/2011/05/13/on-being-what-you-want-and-big" hreflang="und">On Being What You Want, and Bigotry</a></h5></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-blog-image"><div class="field-content"> <a href="/startswithabang/2011/05/13/on-being-what-you-want-and-big" hreflang="und"><img src="/files/styles/thumbnail_small/public/startswithabang/files/2011/05/heic0502a-1.jpeg?itok=Zp-wyYyp" width="75" height="75" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /> </a> </div></div><div class="views-field views-field-body"><div class="field-content">"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." -Antoine de Saint-Exupery For me, personally, it isn't the endless immensity of the seas that calls. It's the endless immensity of space, the Universe, and the stars. Image credit: NASA, ESA and A. Nota (STScI/ESA). And I…</div></div></div> <div class="views-row col-sm-4"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><h5 class="field-content"><a href="/builtonfacts/2009/05/02/bose-einstein-condensates-pt-4" hreflang="und">Bose-Einstein Condensates, pt. 4</a></h5></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-blog-image"><div class="field-content"> <a href="/builtonfacts/2009/05/02/bose-einstein-condensates-pt-4" hreflang="und"><img src="/files/styles/thumbnail_small/public/builtonfacts/files/2012/04/12659-1.png?itok=BSzixagv" width="75" height="75" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /> </a> </div></div><div class="views-field views-field-body"><div class="field-content">Well, we've explored some groundwork in three previous posts and so it's time to put it all together. Why exactly do bosons have such weird behavior at very low temperatures, with a large fraction of their number crowding into a single quantum state? Let's plow on. If you're not familiar with the mathematics or the physics, don't worry. What you've absorbed from the previous posts will be…</div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </footer> </div> <footer class="footer container" role="contentinfo"> <div class="region region-footer"> <section id="block-copyright" class="block block-block-content block-block-contentdeb2a998-8f5b-4fd7-ab0d-e0137aacf3b2 clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>© 2006-2024 Science 2.0. All rights reserved. <a href="https://app.termly.io/document/privacy-policy/d1e1389e-35d5-47a3-9bc9-ad72ad3f6cb6">Privacy</a> statement. 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