Le zanzare non pungono a caso: ricordano l'odore degli esseri umani e sanno riconoscerlo, distinguendo i 'buoni' dai 'disgustosi'. È quanto emerge dallo studio pubblicato giovedì sulla rivista Current Biology.
I ricercatori dell'ateneo statunitense Virginia Tech hanno studiato in particolare le zanzare Aedes Aegypti, vettori di dengue, febbre gialla e Zika.
Per “addestrarle” hanno usato un macchinario che le espone a diversi odori e simula spostamenti d'aria simili a quelli generati nei tentativi di schiacciarle. "Un odore sgradevole provoca una risposta avversa come quella agli insetticidi, che può durare anche diversi giorni", spiegano gli scienziati. Lo studio dimostra quindi che ha un fondamento scientifico l'idea che le zanzare mostrino preferenze su chi pungere. Una caratteristica che potrebbe essere sfruttata per creare la ricetta giusta per apparire disgustosi ed evitare la trasmissione di malattie tropicali.
Secondo gli autori, un messaggero delle cellule nervose, la dopamina, potrebbe avere un ruolo in questi processi di apprendimento.
ATS/ludoC
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