Why Are Some People Mosquito Magnets?

Justin R. Anderson, PhD, associate professor of biology at Radford University, explains the factors that make some people more susceptible to contracting mosquito-borne viruses.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)

“Given our mammalian cell experiment, it suggests that if you have a higher level of either estrogen or an estrogen-mimic, like [Bisphenol A] BPA, in your system, possibly you could serve as a better source of the virus [from a] mosquito that would feed on you.

Ethically, testing that on humans would probably be questionable, and so, certainly we can do some correlational studies or look at estrogen or estrogen-mimic levels as [they] relates to virus transmission.”