Abstract
The effect of blood feeding by mosquitoes on the vascular system of the skin was tested in 10 human subjects. Qualitative changes in blood volume of the skin vasculature during the feeding process were measured with photoelectric plethysmographs, which were part of feeding chambers attached to the skin. The 1st exposure to a biting female resulted in an average 23.5% increase in blood volume, with a maximum increase of 160%. The 2nd exposure resulted in an average increase of 58.6% in blood volume, with a maximum increase of 256%. Three tests were conducted on hypersensitive volunteers bitten by salivary-duct-transected female mosquitoes. These tests resulted in only slight increases in blood volume (4.6%) in the bite area. Salivary secretions of female mosquitoes may cause these increases in blood volume in the area of a bite. This would be important in aiding the mosquito to obtain a blood meal.
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