Anopheles arabiensis, one of the species of mosquitoes that carry malaria, refrain from feeding on the blood of chickens, according to a new study conducted in Ethiopia. The mosquitoes are repelled by the smell of the chickens, prompting some media reports to say that you can protect yourself from malaria by sleeping with a chicken by your side.
"We were surprised to find that malaria mosquitoes are repelled by the odors emitted by chickens. This study shows for the first time that malaria mosquitoes actively avoid feeding on certain animal species, and that this behavior is regulated through odor cues," said corresponding author Rickard Ignell, as per MedicalXpress. Ignell is a chemical ecologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
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Malaria-carrying Mosquitoes Avoid Chickens
Live Science reported that the study on Anopheles arabiensis was done in three villages in Western Ethiopia where it was common practice for people's living quarters to be shared with livestock. The mosquitoes showed a clear preference for human blood compared with the blood of animals.
The researchers found that when the mosquitoes were outdoors, they randomly chose livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep as targets for drawing blood. Anopheles arabiensis were shown to deliberately avoid feeding on chickens whether indoors or outdoors, regardless of when there were many chickens.
Compounds In Chickens Repelled Mosquitoes
Compounds found in the chickens' feathers were what caused the apparent repelling effect, the Independent reported. These compounds are isobutyl butyrate, naphthalene, hexadecane and trans-limonene. There were "significantly fewer" mosquitoes caught in traps treated with these compounds compared to traps that were untreated. Live chicken next to traps also repelled mosquitoes.
The study was a joint effort of researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Addis Ababa University. Their findings on the repelling odor of chickens to Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes were published in the Malaria Journal.
