Universal donors, type O-negative, could be on mosquitoes’ menus.

There are positives to having type O-negative blood. Though you can only receive O-negative blood, you can donate to anyone. Ask the American Red Cross, and they’ll tell you.  Your blood type is in high demand.  But can this blood type make you a tastier treat to mosquitoes?

I’ll never forget how surprised I was as a child when I found out that humans have different blood types. Who knew? Not me, when I was a child. As luck would have it, I have type O blood. And that explains a lot of things, if you catch my drift.

In Rare Instances When I Am Not Protected By A Barrier Treatment Or Special Event Spray, I Am On The Mosquito Menu

It was a memory I would prefer to forget than have embedded in my brain. One summer in the early evening, we were invited to dinner at a friend’s house who hosted cocktails and dinner alfresco on their new deck. We were their house guests for the weekend so I decided to shower, shave, and spritz myself with cologne before putting on a short sleeve shirt and Bermuda shorts. BIG MISTAKE.

Only after starting to feel itchy as the dinner progressed, and as I was about to enjoy dessert did it dawn on me. I was the main course of this dinner party for these miserable insects.

Mosquito Bites And People With Type O Blood

For emergency transfusions, blood group type O-negative blood is the variety of plasma that has the lowest risk of causing serious reactions for most people who receive it. Because of this, it’s sometimes called the universal blood donor type.

Blood group types are based on proteins called antigens that are present in red blood cells. There are major antigens and minor antigens coating the red blood cells. Based on the major antigens, blood groups may be classified as one of these four types:

1. Type A
2. Type B
3. Type AB
4. Type O

Blood is also classified by rhesus (Rh) factor. If your blood has the Rh factor, you’re Rh positive. If your blood lacks the Rh factor, you’re Rh negative. Ideally, blood transfusions are done with donated blood that’s an exact match for type and Rh factor. Even then, small samples of the recipient’s and donor’s blood are mixed to check compatibility in a process known as cross-matching. In an emergency, type O negative red blood cells may be given to anyone — especially if the situation is life-threatening or the matching blood type is in short supply.

Generally speaking, mosquitoes appear to be more attracted to people with blood type O than other blood types.

A 2004 study examined mosquito preference for blood type, as well as secretor status. The overall results found that:

• More mosquitoes landed on people with blood type O. However, this result was only statistically significant when compared with blood type A and not to the other blood types.
• Mosquitoes landed on type O secretors significantly more often than type A secretors.
• When blood type antigens were applied to the arms of study participants, mosquitoes were significantly more attracted to people with H (type O) antigen than A antigen. Meanwhile, A antigen was significantly more attractive than B antigen.

Keep yourself off the mosquito menu; and stay protected with professional Randolph mosquito control.

Also read: Facts About Mosquitoes and Blood