How Can Mosquitoes Smell Period Blood?
WouterDuring a menstrual period, blood is released from the body. This blood has a peculiar smell and taste. It can be attractive to mosquitoes. If a person has menstrual blood in their house, it can be a breeding ground for many diseases.
The blood in the body is naturally a metallic taste because of the iron content. If a person has menstrual bleeding, they should avoid storing it for a long time. Rather, they should change their napkins every four to five hours. If they store their blood for a long time, the blood can deteriorate and spread diseases.
Mosquitoes can smell blood up to 50 kilometers (30 miles) away. In addition to blood, mosquitoes can also smell lactic acid, which is emitted through the skin. This acid can be produced when a person is exercising or eating certain foods.
Other factors that attract mosquitoes include body heat and metabolic rate. Women who are pregnant are more attractive to mosquitoes than other people. Women who have recently given birth are also more attractive to mosquitoes.
In Africa, researchers found that mosquitoes gravitated toward pregnant people twice as often. The reason is because pregnant women have a higher metabolic rate and emit more carbon dioxide.
Another reason why mosquitoes are attracted to pregnant women is because of the extra body heat. Women who have recently given birth have one degree warmer abdominal temperatures than other women. Moreover, pregnant women tend to exhale 21% more carbon dioxide than non-pregnant women.
