Scientists figure out what makes human blood so tasty to mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are attracted by the sugar, salt, sodium bicarbonate and ATP in our blood, research has found. Picture: University of Glasgow/PA

A team of scientists in the US has figured out the compounds in human blood that attract mosquitoes – potentially paving the way for a drug that could mask our tempting flavour.

A team of researchers at The Rockefeller University in New York City used genetically-modified females to see which neurons fire when they tasted blood.