Study Finds Mosquitoes in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest Prefer Human Blood Amid Habitat Loss

A study conducted in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a biodiversity hotspot now reduced to about 30% of its original area due to human expansion, found that mosquitoes are increasingly feeding on humans rather than a variety of animal hosts. Researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Oswaldo Cruz Institute analyzed over 1,700 mosquitoes from two natural reserves, identifying blood meals in 24 females primarily from humans. This shift may raise the risk of pathogen transmission in the region.