Kamil Perry
Mosquitoes are attracted to certain people more than others. This could be due to various factors such as what they wear, how they smell, and what they eat. One of the factors that attract mosquitoes is Limburger cheese. Limburger cheese is a Dutch cheese that has a strong smell resembling foot odour. Mosquitoes are drawn to the scent of Limburger cheese and its derivatives, and it is even used as a bait in mosquito traps.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mosquito species | Anopheles gambiae s.s. |
| Mosquito type | Malaria mosquito |
| Mosquito behaviour | Attracted to the scent of Limburger cheese |
| Limburger cheese properties | Smells like human feet |
| Limburger cheese composition | Contains volatile fatty acids produced by the bacterium Brevibacterium linens |
| Human feet composition | Contains the bacterium Brevibacterium epidermidis |
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What You'll Learn
Limburger cheese is an attractant for mosquitoes
The bacteria Brevibacterium linens, which produces the rind on Limburger cheese, is also present on the human foot. This bacteria dine on proteins in a moist, salty environment, producing a smell that attracts mosquitoes. The human foot and Limburger cheese have been found to have a strong similarity in their carboxylic fatty acid composition, which is what attracts mosquitoes to both.
The discovery of Limburger cheese as an attractant for mosquitoes is significant as it is thought that this will accelerate the development of odour-baited traps for malaria mosquito surveillance and control, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. These traps will be crucial in the fight against malaria, a disease transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito to humans during the bloodfeeding process.
In addition to Limburger cheese, mosquitoes are also attracted to heat and moisture. Homemade traps utilising these attractants, along with Limburger cheese, have been proposed as a potential method for mosquito control.
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Mosquitoes are drawn to the scent of Limburger cheese
Brevibacterium linens is a bacteria that grows on the surface of Limburger cheese. It requires oxygen to survive, and it also needs a moist and salty environment. Since cheese does not produce foot sweat, cheesemakers must wash these cheeses with water to keep them wet. This is why they are called "washed rind cheeses". On the moist cheese, the B. linens bacteria feed on proteins to produce volatile fatty acids, which humans find unappealing but mosquitoes are drawn to.
The same fatty acids are produced by another bacteria, Brevibacterium epidermidis, which is found on human feet. This bacteria thrives in the moist and salty environment of human feet, producing a smell that attracts mosquitoes. According to a paper in The Lancet, "gaschromatographic analysis of toenail scrapings and Limburger cheese odour have shown strong similarity in their carboxylic fatty acid composition."
The discovery that mosquitoes are attracted to Limburger cheese has important implications for malaria control. The Anopheles gambiae mosquito, which is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, is responsible for the transmission of malaria parasites to humans. The discovery of Limburger cheese as an attractant for this mosquito species may accelerate the development of odour-baited traps for malaria mosquito surveillance and control.
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Limburger cheese resembles foot odour, which attracts mosquitoes
Limburger cheese is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese with a signature aroma and a peachy-pink to pale orange-brown rind. It is known for its strong, pungent smell, often compared to body odour, sweaty socks, or old socks. The cheese is made from pasteurised cow's milk and is known for its strong smell, caused by the bacterium Brevibacterium linens, which is also found on human skin and contributes to body odour. Specifically, it is a type of "smear bacteria," that produces the rind on soft, smelly cheeses.
The blocks are then aged for one to three months, during which they are regularly washed with a salt brine solution. This process cultivates the Brevibacterium linens bacterium, which gives Limburger its distinctive reddish-orange rind and strong aroma. The washing process also contributes to the development of the cheese's unique flavour. The aged blocks are then wrapped in foil to contain their aroma and protect the cheese before being sold.
The human foot and Limburger cheese have a common genus of bacteria, Brevibacterium. Brevibacterium epidermidis is the type found between toes, while Brevibacterium linens is a type of "smear bacteria" that produces the rind on soft, smelly cheeses. The Brevibacteria on feet dine on proteins in a moist, salty environment, producing a smell that attracts mosquitoes. According to a paper in the Lancet, "gaschromatographic analysis of toenail scrapings and Limburger cheese odour have shown strong similarity in their carboxylic fatty acid composition."
Limburger cheese has been used as an attractant for the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae s.s. in mosquito traps in some parts of Africa to combat malaria. The mosquitoes are drawn to the scent of Limburger cheese and its derivatives, even luring them away from human targets.
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Mosquitoes are attracted to the bacteria on human feet
Mosquitoes are attracted to human feet due to the bacteria present on the skin. While the exact mechanism behind this preference is not fully understood, several factors are believed to contribute to it.
One factor is the presence of specific bacteria on the feet that mosquitoes find appealing. For example, researchers from the Netherlands found that mosquitoes were attracted to foot sweat samples with higher levels of Staphylococcus bacteria. Additionally, the Brevibacterium epidermidis bacteria, commonly found on the feet, produce odorous molecules that mosquitoes can sense and are attracted to.
Another factor is the unique odour that results from the interaction between bacteria and human sweat. Sweat contains lactic acid and ammonia, which are known to attract mosquitoes. When combined with the bacteria on the skin, the sweat can create a distinct fragrance that influences the intensity of mosquito bites experienced by different individuals.
The diversity of bacteria on the skin also plays a role. Studies have shown that people with lower bacterial diversity on their skin tend to be more attractive to mosquitoes, while those with higher bacterial diversity are less attractive. This may be because a higher diversity of bacteria produces a wider range of odours, some of which may be less appealing to mosquitoes.
Additionally, the moisture and temperature of the feet may be contributing factors. Mosquitoes are drawn to moist environments, and the feet tend to be sweatier than other parts of the body. The warmer temperature of the feet compared to other body parts may also make them more attractive to mosquitoes, as they sense body heat to locate their targets.
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Mosquitoes are drawn to human blood and Limburger cheese
Mosquitoes are attracted to human blood and Limburger cheese, but these two things may have more in common than you think. Mosquitoes are drawn to human flesh, particularly moist and insensitive flesh, like that of the feet. It turns out that the human foot and Limburger cheese share a genus of bacteria, Brevibacterium. Brevibacterium epidermidis is the bacteria that grows between toes, while Brevibacterium linens is a type of "smear bacteria" that produces the rind on soft, smelly cheeses. These bacteria dine on proteins in a moist, salty environment, producing a smell that mosquitoes love. In fact, mosquitoes are so attracted to Limburger cheese that it can even lure them away from human targets.
The Anopheles gambiae mosquito, which transmits malaria parasites to humans, is particularly drawn to Limburger cheese. This discovery is expected to accelerate the development of odour-baited traps for malaria mosquito surveillance and control in sub-Saharan Africa.
The power of Limburger cheese as a mosquito attractant was discovered by Bart Knols, a graduate student at Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands. Knols sat in his underwear under a mosquito net and found that mosquitoes were attracted to his feet. When he washed his feet with disinfectant soap, the mosquitoes stopped biting his feet but continued to bite other parts of his body. To test the hypothesis that mosquitoes were attracted to foot odour, Knols and his team used a piece of Limburger cheese, which has an odour that "resembles foot odour", according to the researchers. They baited a standard trap with air that had been passed over the cheese, and the mosquitoes went straight for it.
The smell of Limburger cheese comes from fatty acids produced by the Brevibacterium linens bacteria. These chemicals are very similar to those found in "human toe scrapings", which are colonised by the Brevibacterium epidermidis bacteria. The discovery of this powerful attractant could be used to develop traps to lure mosquitoes away from human targets and help reduce the spread of malaria.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, mosquitoes are attracted to Limburger cheese. They are drawn to the scent of the cheese and its derivatives.
Limburger cheese is known to have a strong smell, which comes from the fatty acids produced by a bacterium called Brevibacterium linens. These chemicals are very similar to those that come from human toe scrapings, which are colonized by another bacterium, Brevibacterium epidermidis.
Limburger cheese can be used as bait in mosquito traps. This method can be used to accelerate the development of odour-baited traps for malaria mosquito surveillance and control, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
