Shrinking forests are giving mosquitoes a greater taste for human blood, a study suggests. As forests shrink and wildlife disappears, mosquitoes are increasingly turning to people for their blood meals, a shift that raises real concerns about the potential spread of diseases that affect humans. A new study published in the journal Frontiers suggests these buzzing, biting insects are playing a growing role in the increased transmission of Zika, yellow fever, dengue, and other diseases that mosquitoes pass on to people, thanks in part to disappearing habitats. But here's where it gets controversial... Human blood was widely found in nine types of mosquitoes in two formerly uninhabited areas in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, preliminary study results found. This area was once a part of the Atlantic Forest that covered 502,000 square miles. Today, it has shrunk to 29% of its original size as a result of deforestation and development, according to the final study. And this is the part most people miss... The researchers point to past studies showing that areas with heavier deforestation have a higher mosquito abundance and higher rates of mosquito-borne disease because disturbed habitats favor species that thrive near people. At the same time, reduced biodiversity removes animals that can dilute disease transmission, making humans more likely to become the primary blood source. So, what does this mean for us? More than 17% of all infectious diseases are caused by vector-borne diseases, meaning a disease that's transmitted to humans by a living organism, such as mosquitoes, ticks, and flies, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports. These biting insects cause more than 700,000 deaths globally. But here's the catch... Female mosquitoes are the culprit. They must drink blood to get the protein and iron they need to develop their eggs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And this is where it gets interesting... There is a 'reproductive drive for them to feed on blood, and if there's no other host there, most mosquitoes would feed on a human,' Harrington told ABC News. But it's not all doom and gloom. Male mosquitoes buzz, but they don’t bite, instead dining on nectar and plant sugars. And while it's true that more than a handful of mosquito species prefer the taste of human blood, only a small fraction of mosquito species regularly seek out humans when given a choice. So, while the study raises important concerns, it's not all bad news. We can take steps to protect ourselves and our communities from the risks of mosquito-borne diseases, and we can work together to preserve our forests and wildlife habitats.
