It became known who is more often bitten by ticks
To find out which blood type is more attractive to ticks, scientists conducted more than 100 tests.
Scientists have identified the human blood type that ticks prefer as hosts. This is evidenced by the results of a series of experiments conducted by Czech researchers. It turned out that insects have a clear preference for people with the second blood group.
To find out which of the four main blood groups is most attractive to ticks, scientists conducted more than a hundred tests in the laboratory. Blood samples of all four groups were placed in a specially equipped vessel, after which a certain number of insects were released into it. The researchers carefully tracked which blood sample the ticks flocked to first.
According to the results of numerous experiments, the second blood group was the most popular among ticks - ticks gravitated towards it in 36% of cases. The third group turned out to be the least attractive to ticks, which was chosen by only 15% of the subjects. The remaining blood groups occupied an intermediate position in terms of attractiveness to insects.
Scientists note that modern science has limited knowledge about what factors influence the choice of potential hosts by ticks. For a long time it was believed that a person's blood type does not play a significant role in this process. However, the results of a current study by Czech experts convincingly refute this opinion. It is obvious that insects are somehow able to distinguish between the blood types of potential hosts and give preference to certain ones.
The authors of the study do not exclude that the data obtained may be useful for the development of more effective means of protection against ticks for people with different blood groups. Perhaps in the future there will be repellents and other preventive measures designed specifically for those with the second blood group, who are most at risk of being attacked by ticks.
The scientists plan to conduct additional experiments to confirm their conclusions and deeper study of the factors influencing the preferences of ticks. It is possible that in addition to blood type, other biochemical characteristics of the human body may also influence the choice of insects. A thorough study of this issue will allow us to develop more reliable measures of protection against potentially dangerous parasites.