If you frequently find yourself covered in mosquito bites while others escape without so much as an itch, you can blame your genes.

    British scientists have discovered evidence that some people are simply born to attract mosquitoes.

    In experiments they found that people’s body smell attracted the insects in different ways — and this was strongly influenced by genetics.

    The team, led by scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, found that pairs of identical twins — who share 100 percent of their genes — are equally attractive to mosquitoes.

    Non-identical twins, who only share about 50 percent of their genes, differ in the degree to which they attract the bugs, the scientists found.

    The research, published in the journal PLOS One, provides strong evidence that your chance of being bitten is genetically driven.

    The results show that the trait has a similar link to genes as height and IQ.

    The findings build on previous work linking body odor to the chances of being attacked by mosquitoes.

    The team — which also included scientists from Nottingham University, Rothamsted Research in Hertforshire, and the University of Florida — think that some individuals produce a natural insect repellent that keeps them safe.

    Lead scientist James Logan, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said, “By investigating the genetic mechanism behind attractiveness to biting insects such as mosquitoes we can move closer to using this knowledge for better ways of keeping us safe from bites and the diseases insects can spread through bites. In the future we may be able to take a pill which will enhance the production of natural repellents by the body and ultimately replace skin lotions.”

    The study involved 18 identical and 19 non-identical twin pairs.

    In the experiment, Aedies aegypti mosquitoes — which transmit dengue fever — were released into a Y-shaped tube that divided into two sections. They were allowed to fly down either side towards the odor from the study participants’ hands to see which twin they were most attracted to.

如果你发现蚊子特别喜欢叮你，而其他人安然无恙，这其实与你的基因有关。

英国科学家已经找到了证据，证明一些人生来就招蚊子。在实验中他们发现，人体散发的味道会在不同程度吸引昆虫，而这种味道与基因有很大关系。研究团队由伦敦卫生和热带医学院的科学家领衔。他们发现，基因完全一样的同卵双胞胎对蚊子的吸引力也一样。

对于异卵双胞胎而言，他们的基因只有一半相同，因此对蚊子的吸引力也不一样。

这项研究发表在期刊《公共科学图书馆·综合》上，为基因决定蚊子叮咬几率提供了有力证据。研究结果显示，这一特征与基因的关联，就好比身高、智商与基因的关系一般。此前，曾有科学家将体味与蚊子叮咬几率相关联，为这项研究建立了基础。

研究团队还包括来自诺丁汉大

学、哈福德郡洛桑研究所和佛罗里达大学的科学家。他们认为，一些人能产生一种驱虫体味，让自己免受蚊虫叮咬。领头科学家、来自伦敦卫生与热带医学院的詹姆斯·洛根说：“通过研究蚊虫吸引力背后的遗传机制，我们就能进一步研究如何免受蚊虫叮咬和疾病传播的威胁。未来，我们也许能发明一种药丸，促进人体产生天然驱虫素，最终用以代替驱虫液。”

这项研究的对象包括18对同卵双胞胎和19对异卵双胞胎。实验中，传播登革热的埃及伊蚊被释放到分叉的Y型试管里。

它们可以朝分别散发着参与者手的气味的两个方向飞行，以便看出双胞胎中的哪一位更吸引蚊子。

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【遗传基因】yíchuán jīyīn genetics inherited and varied features and constitution of a single organism, species, or group

【驱虫剂】qūchóngjì repellent something that repels, as a substance that keeps away insects