US EditionMosquitoes' Thirst for Human Blood Has Increased as Biodiversity Loss Worsens
Mosquitoes in Brazil's Atlantic Forest feed more on humans due to habitat loss; under 7% of collected females had blood meals, with 38% identifiable, raising disease transmission risks.
- Researchers at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro found mosquitoes in Atlantic Forest reserves are increasingly feeding on humans, as published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution on January 15, 2026.
- Habitat loss and expanding human settlements have reduced the Atlantic Forest to about one third its original size, and researchers say this shrinkage drives mosquitoes to feed more on humans.
- Laboratory analysis separated 145 engorged females from 1,714 mosquitoes, identifying 24 blood meals via DNA sequencing of a vertebrate 'barcode' gene, revealing 18 humans, six birds, one amphibian, one canid and one mouse.
- A preference for human blood increases transmission risk as researchers warn heightened mosquito–humans contact could spur outbreaks and `This allows for targeted surveillance and prevention actions`, concluded Alencar.
- Researchers urge restoring the biome while continuing study, noting ecosystem restoration is needed to reverse rising human feeding amid data gaps: fewer than 7% engorged and 38% identification success.
33 Articles
33 Articles
A lack of animals to feed on has increased mosquitoes' appetite for human blood, according to a new study. The mosquitoes' thirst for blood can lead to the spread of dangerous diseases.
A lack of animals to feed on has increased mosquitoes' appetite for human blood, according to a new study. Mosquitoes' bloodthirstiness can lead to the spread of dangerous diseases.
Conservation news
ecotopical.comMosquitoes in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest prefer human blood
As deforestation and habitat loss drive down wildlife populations, mosquitoes are increasingly turning to another source for their blood meal: humans. That’s the finding of a new study in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, a global biodiversity hotspot with less than a third of its original forest remaining. Mosquitoes in the Atlantic Forest “have a clear preference […]
The degradation of biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil encourages several species of mosquitoes to feed themselves more frequently with human blood, which increases the risk of disease transmission.This was noted by a study by the Oswaldo Cruz Institute and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.The Atlantic Forest extends along the Brazilian coast and houses hundreds of sp…
Shrinking Forests Drive Mosquitoes to Bite Humans
Mosquitoes appear to be acquiring a stronger taste for human blood, out of necessity. A new study out of Brazil suggests that as forests are cut down and wildlife vanishes, local mosquitoes are switching from feeding on animals to feeding on people, reports Popular Science . It's more than an annoyance:...
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