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J Med Entomol

Title:		Effectiveness of synthetic versus natural human volatiles as attractants for Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) sensu stricto
Author(s):		Smallegange RC; Knols BG; Takken W;
Address:		"Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, The Netherlands. renate.smallegange@wur.nl"
Journal Title:		J Med Entomol
Year:		2010
Volume:		47
Issue:		3
Page Number:		338 - 344
DOI:		10.1603/me09015
ISSN/ISBN:		0022-2585 (Print) 0022-2585 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Females of the African malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae Giles sensu stricto, use human volatiles to find their blood-host. Previous work has shown that ammonia, lactic acid, and aliphatic carboxylic acids significantly affect host orientation and attraction of this species. In the current study, these compounds were tested for their attractiveness relative to human emanations in vivo and in vitro. Emanations from a human hand, incubated sweat, and foot skin residues on a nylon sock were significantly attractive when tested against clean air. In a dual-choice test, foot skin residues were significantly more attractive than emanations from a human hand in vivo. Ammonia alone attracted more mosquitoes than fresh or incubated sweat. However, the odor of a human hand or of foot skin residues were more attractive than ammonia. A known attractive blend of ammonia with lactic acid and carboxylic acids was less effective than natural foot odorants. The results demonstrate that the synthetic blend based on skin odor is attractive for An. gambiae, but that in a choice situation in vitro natural skin odors are still preferred by the mosquito. Differences in volatile organic compound abundances between a worn sock and the synthetic blend may have resulted in stronger attraction to the sock. This suggests that candidate attractants should be evaluated with consideration of the strength of natural odorant sources. The data furthermore suggest that additional unidentified compounds from the human foot are involved in the host-seeking behavior of this mosquito species"
Keywords:		Animals Anopheles/drug effects/*physiology Carboxylic Acids Female Foot/parasitology Hand/parasitology Humans Lactic Acid *Odorants Pheromones/*pharmacology Skin/parasitology Smell/*physiology Sweat Volatile Organic Compounds/*pharmacology;
Notes:		"MedlineSmallegange, Renate C Knols, Bart G J Takken, Willem eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2010/05/26 J Med Entomol. 2010 May; 47(3):338-44. doi: 10.1603/me09015"