Turns out, there was an insect repellent hidden in your skin all along. Scientists recently discovered some compounds in the human skin that can keep away insects. As many of you might have observed, mosquitoes and other insects are more attracted to certain people. The reason for this is because that the degree of chemical that attracts insects is higher in their skin than others.
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Similarly, there are compounds present in your skin that make you invisible to insects. These very compounds have been put together by scientists to create an effective repellent. An experiment was then carried out in which this compound was applied to person’s hand. After which the hand was placed in chamber filled with mosquitoes. As hoped, the mosquitoes in the chamber completely ignored the person’s hand thus proving the hypothesis that this compound is effective. Basically, a mosquito smells out its prey and if it can’t smell you then it can’t bite you, it is as simple as that. In other words, these compounds act as an invisibly cloak against insects.
While talking about this new finding Dr Nigel Beebe, who is a mosquito expert, was quoted as saying: “Mosquitoes can determine subtle differences in smell, that is why with a couple in bed only one might get bitten.The body secrets oils, it gives people a certain smell, everyone has a different fingerprint of a smell. That explains why some people are more tasty to mosquitoes than others.” This new find can eventually help eradicate dreaded diseases like Malaria and Chikangunya.
Many would argue that there are mosquito and insect repellents that can do the job, but those who have encountered mosquito or insect infestation very well know that after some period of time these insects form a resistance to repellents. This new discovery on the other hand would really help resolve this issue at the root. Dr Ulrich Bernier of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) while talking about this issue was quoted as saying: “Repellents have been the mainstay for preventing mosquito bites… [but] we are exploring a different approach, with substances that impair the mosquito’s sense of smell. If a mosquito can’t sense that dinner is ready, there will be no buzzing, no landing and no bite”.
The best part is that this new compound can be added to creams and cosmetics. This would in turn ensure that human beings are never bothered by insects ever again.
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