Meeting Abstract

P1-112    Effects of personal care products on mosquito-host interactions VanderGiessen, M; Tallon, AK*; Damico, B; Lahondère, C; Vinauger, C; Virginia Tech ; Virginia Tech ; Virginia Tech ; Virginia Tech ; Virginia Tech anaskt@vt.edu

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the primary urban vector for dengue (i.e., the fastest spreading vector-borne disease in the world). In mosquitoes, pathogen transmission relies in part on odor-mediated behaviors (e.g., sugar- and host-seeking). Olfaction is one of the most sophisticated sensory modalities used by insects to locate and discriminate biologically-relevant odorant volatiles. The selection of suitable host plants is crucial for mosquitoes as they must be able to identify odorant stimuli emitted from host and non-host plants. Host-seeking (i.e., to locate a host and successfully blood feed) depends on mosquitoes’ ability to find and discriminate between vertebrate hosts using volatile cues. Synthetic fragrances, initially elaborated from floral extracts to improve scents of people and items during Antiquity, started being extensively used in the 1950’s. The daily usage of Personal Care Products (PCPs) (e.g., soaps and perfumes) is responsible for the wide introduction into the environment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) naturally encountered and used by insects (e.g., limonene and linalool are involved in the mediation of plant- and host-mosquito interactions). We hypothesize that the use of PCPs modifies the human host odor profile, therefore altering mosquitoes’ attraction. To determine the impact of commonly used soaps on host-seeking behavior, we used a multidisciplinary approach combining analytical chemistry methods to identify the VOCs presents in these PCPs (i.e., gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) and quantitative analysis of mosquito behavior (i.e., cage choice assay). We found that soap usage significantly influences human odor profiles, and likely alters human inter-individual variation in attractiveness to mosquitoes. This study paves the way for a better understanding of mosquitoes’ responses to host- and plant-associated chemical blends in ecologically relevant contexts.