揭秘：蚊子为什么喜欢你？（一）
注：由于本文生词较多，本课先学习前三段中的单词。文末有个趣味小投票敬请参加。
Please don't feel singled out, special, or view yourself as a chosen one. She bites everyone. This is just the inherent nature of the beast. There is absolutely no truth to the persistent myths that mosquitoes fancy females over males, that they prefer blondes and redheads over those with darker hair, or that the darker or more leathery your skin, the safer you are from her bite. It is true, however, that she does play favorites and feasts on some more than others.
Blood type O seems to be the vintage of choice over types A and B or their blend. People with blood type O get bitten twice as often as those with type A, with type B falling somewhere in between. Disney-Pixar must have done their homework when portraying a tipsy mosquito ordering a Bloody Mary, O-positive in the 1998 movie “A Bug’s Life.”
Those who have higher natural levels of certain chemicals in their skin, particularly lactic acid, also seem to be more attractive. From these elements, she can analyze which blood type you are. These are the same chemicals that determine an individual’s level of skin bacteria and unique body odor. While you may offend others and perhaps yourself, in this case, being pungently rancid is a good thing, for it increases bacteria levels on the skin, which make you less alluring to mosquitoes.
Cleanliness is not next to godliness, except for stinky feet, which emit a bacterium, the same one that ripens and rinds certain cheeses, that is a mosquito aphrodisiac.
Mosquitoes are also enticed by deodorants, perfumes, soaps, and other applied fragrances. While this may seem unfair to many of you, and the reason remains a mystery, she also has an affinity for beer drinkers.
Wearing bright colors is also not a wise choice, since she hunts by both sight and smell, the latter depending chiefly on the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled by the potential target.
So, all your thrashing and huffing and puffing only magnetizes mosquitoes and puts you at greater risk. She can smell carbon dioxide from over 200 feet away. When you exercise, for example, you emit more carbon dioxide through both frequency of breath and output. You also sweat, releasing those appetizing chemicals, primarily lactic acid, that invites the mosquito’s attention.
Lastly, your body temperature rises, which is an easily identifiable heat signature for your soon-to-be tormentor. On average, pregnant women suffer twice as many bites, as they respire 20% more carbon dioxide and have a marginally elevated body temperature. As we will see, this is bad news for the mother and the fetus when it comes to infection from Zika and malaria.
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