This is not funny!

by Koi Hernandez

It’s in all news. The number of Dengue Cases here in the Philippines is getting more and more alarming again. This deadly disease that has taken lives of our beloved in the Philippines is caused by a mosquito called the Aedes Aegypti.

Aedes aegypti is a vector for transmitting several tropical fevers. Only the female bites for blood which she needs to mature her eggs. Understanding how the mosquito detects its host is a crucial step in the spread of the disease. Aedes aegypti are attracted to chemical compounds that are emitted by mammals. These compounds include ammonia, carbon dioxide, lactic acid, and octenol. Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service have studied the specific chemical structure of octenol in order to better understand why this chemical attracts the mosquito to its host. They found that the mosquito has a preference for “right-handed” (dextrorotatory) octenol molecules.

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