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[at-l] Fw: [WomenHikers] Natural Human Mosquito Repellent?



I thought this was way kewl.  Wonder if this works if they will figure out how to help us to get our own bodies to produce the needed "chemicals"?  Hmmm....

Shelly Hale
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Amy 
To: WomenHikers@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 9:07 AM
Subject: [WomenHikers] Natural Human Mosquito Repellent?



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?
tmpl=story&cid=585&e=1&u=/nm/20050120/sc_nm/science_mosquito_dc

UK Scientists Find Natural Human Mosquito Repellent
1 hour, 24 minutes ago   Science - Reuters 

LONDON (Reuters) - British researchers have found chemicals produced 
by the human body that repel mosquitos, which could lead to a 
natural, odorless bug spray. 

Scientists have long known that some people are more tempting 
targets for mosquitos than others. 

But until now it was not clear whether those who were better 
protected actually produced a natural repellent of their own, or 
simply produced fewer of the chemicals that attract the insects, 
said James Logan of Britain's Rothamsted Research center. 

"Other research groups have assumed that people who were 
unattractive (to mosquitos) might just lack attractive chemicals," 
he said. "But we've come at it from a different point of view and 
suggested that they may have chemicals that make them less 
attractive." 

His team tested people to see how likely they were to attract 
mosquitos, then collected the chemicals the volunteers' bodies give 
off -- their "liquid body odors," Logan said. 

The researchers found certain chemicals were more common in people 
who were less attractive to the mosquitos. When they sprayed those 
chemicals on people who normally did attract mosquitos, the insects 
were no longer interested. 

"It basically masks the attractive chemicals. This chemical is 
telling the mosquito that there's nothing there," he said. 

"I'm not saying it's one chemical. We've got several chemicals. It's 
likely to have something to do with different ratios of chemicals." 

Best of all, the natural bug repellent is not detectable by human 
noses, so it would have no smell. 

So far, the team is keeping its recipe secret because it wants to 
market what could be a new natural bug repellent that has no odor 
detectable by humans, Logan said. 






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