L-Lactic Acid as a Factor in the Attraction of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) to Human Hosts2

Olfaction in vector-host interactions

“…From numerous studies it was shown that lactic acid plays a major role in the host-seeking behaviour of Ae. aegypti (Table 1) , Smith et al 1970. Lactic acid is a weak attractant on its own but acts synergistically with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), a major component of exhaled breath, and other volatiles emanating from human skin , Allan et al 2006a,b, Smith et al 1970, Williams et al 2006a).…”

“…This substance, present on human skin as well as in breath, was repeatedly shown to attract Ae. aegypti, but until the beginning of the 1990's only in combination with carbon dioxide , Smith et al 1970). …”

The Effect of C02, Sweat, Chemical Vapours and Air on <i>Simulium ornatum</i>: Implications for Control

“…It was reported that Aedes aegyptii (mosquito) females kept in a CO 2 -free atmosphere oriented to an olfactometer port through which human odour-laden air passed in preference to one through which clean air passed (Smith et al, 1970). With a choice chamber olfactometer, Laarman (1955) found that the vapour from citrated rabbit blood was over twice as attractive to Anopheles atropavus as that of physiological saline.…”

Sampling Adults by Animal Bait Catches and by Animal-Baited Traps

“…Bar-Zeev et al (1977) summarised the available information on the factors that appeared to attract Aedes aegypti to humans. They also carried out laboratory studies on responses to carbon dioxide, relative humidity, temperature and emanations from a human forearm, and confirmed the attractancy of [S]-lactic acid (Acree et al, 1968; Smith et al, 1970). More recently Kusakabe & Ikeshoji (1990) found that lactic acid, heat, black colour, movement and sound were all to some degree attractive to both sexes of Aedes aegypti but carbon dioxide was not attractive.…”