{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1816212,
        "msgid": "is-it-true-that-blood-type-o-is-more-attractive-to-mosquitoes-1782111179",
        "date": "2026-06-22 13:14:41",
        "title": "Is It True That Blood Type O Is More Attractive to Mosquitoes?",
        "author": "Qommarria Rostanti",
        "source": "REPUBLIKA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "A professor from IPB University clarifies the scientific basis behind the popular belief that mosquitoes prefer blood type O, citing a 2004 Japanese study. While individuals with type O blood may produce more detectable volatile compounds like lactic acid and CO2, all blood types are susceptible to bites, and factors such as dark-coloured clothing also attract mosquitoes.",
        "content": "<p>The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) recorded a total of 39,672 cases of\nDengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DBD) in Indonesia with 105 deaths up to May\n2026. West Java was the region with the highest number of cases,\nexceeding 9,000 with 36 deaths. Speaking about mosquitoes, many myths\nstill circulate and are believed by the public. One of the most popular\nis the assumption that mosquitoes prefer people with blood type O.<\/p>\n<p>Professor Upik Kesumawati, from the School of Veterinary Medicine and\nBiomedical Sciences at IPB University, stated that this assumption has a\nscientific basis, although it does not mean other blood types are free\nfrom mosquito bites. Prof Upik cited a 2004 study in Japan which found\nthat mosquitoes more frequently sucked blood from individuals with blood\ntype O compared to other blood types.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople with blood type O have more volatile compounds than people\nwith blood type A. For example, they produce more lactic acid or carbon\ndioxide (CO2), making them easier for mosquitoes to detect,\u201d she said in\na written statement late last week. However, she stressed that everyone\nstill has the potential to be bitten by mosquitoes. Anyone can have\ntheir blood sucked, it is just that there is a tendency for blood type O\nto be preferred.<\/p>\n<p>Prof Upik also corrected the myth that blood is the main food for\nmosquitoes. She explained that blood is actually needed by female\nmosquitoes for the reproduction process and egg maturation. \u201cThe blood\nsucked by mosquitoes is needed for reproduction, not as their main\nfood,\u201d she said. She noted that not all mosquitoes suck blood. Only\nfemale mosquitoes require blood to lay eggs, while male mosquitoes\nobtain energy from plant fluids and flower nectar. Besides blood type,\nclothing colour also influences mosquito attraction. According to Prof\nUpik, dark-coloured clothing tends to absorb heat, making the body\nwarmer and more attractive to mosquitoes. \u201cMosquitoes like warm and\nhumid conditions. Therefore, people wearing dark clothes are more\nfrequently approached by mosquitoes,\u201d she said.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/is-it-true-that-blood-type-o-is-more-attractive-to-mosquitoes-1782111179",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}