“Finally, should you be inclined to down a pint on St. Patty’s Day, try to avoid doing so in regions prone to malaria. Opt for Ireland over a West African country such as Burkina Faso. A recent study published in PLoS One finds that people who consume BEER are far more appealing to malaria-bearing mosquitoes than those who drink water (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009546). The authors of the study believe that alcohol metabolism increases the breath and odor markers that attract mosquitoes. Sláinte!”
I had this discussion with my wife at the Camden aquarium looking at the hippos. Most dangerous animal in Africa I said. Then thought for a minute and said, well… Most dangerous animal bigger than a mosquito, anyway.
Well in terms of number of people dead as a result of interaction with something other than human it appears that mosquitos have a big lead. But if you mean that it’s the malaria killing people, not the mosquitos then yeah.
If you mean what animal would you most rather not face off against in the wild I guess I’d pick polar bear. But that’s just personal preference.
Interesting home remedies for ridding of these little blood sucking bastards. I like the beer remedy except for the fact I would prefer to drink mine. Maybe some BMC would do.
