Study Finds Mosquitoes in Brazil's Atlantic Forest Prefer Feeding on Humans Amid Habitat Loss

A study published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution reveals that mosquitoes in Brazil's Atlantic Forest are increasingly feeding on humans due to habitat loss from deforestation and climate change. Researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Oswaldo Cruz Institute captured over 1,700 mosquitoes across 52 species, finding that many had human blood. The shift is attributed to shrinking wildlife populations and rising temperatures, which bring mosquitoes closer to human settlements and extend their breeding cycles.