Mosquito-borne diseases are a major burden on human health worldwide and their eradication through vector control methods remains challenging. In particular, the success of vector control interventions for targeting diseases such as malaria is under threat, in part due to the evolution of insecticide resistance, while for other diseases effective control solutions are still lacking. The rate at which mosquitoes encounter and bite humans is a key determinant of their capacity for disease transmission. Future progress is strongly reliant on improving our understanding of the mechanisms leading to a mosquito bite. Here, we review the biological factors known to influence the attractiveness of mosquitoes to humans, such as body odour, the skin microbiome, genetics and infection by parasites. We identify the knowledge gaps around the relative contribution of each factor, and the potential links between them, as well as the role of natural selection in shaping vector–host–parasite interactions. Finally, we argue that addressing these questions will contribute to improving current tools and the development of novel interventions for the future.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Novel control strategies for mosquito-borne diseases'.

蚊媒疾病是全世界人类健康的主要负担，通过病媒控制方法根除这些疾病仍然具有挑战性。特别是，针对疟疾等疾病的病媒控制干预措施的成功受到威胁，部分原因是杀虫剂耐药性的演变，而对于其他疾病，仍然缺乏有效的控制解决方案。蚊子遭遇和叮咬人类的速度是其传播疾病能力的关键决定因素。未来的进展很大程度上依赖于提高我们对导致蚊虫叮咬的机制的理解。在这里，我们回顾了已知影响蚊子对人类吸引力的生物因素，例如体味、皮肤微生物组、遗传和寄生虫感染。我们确定了围绕每个因素的相对贡献的知识差距，它们之间的潜在联系，以及自然选择在塑造载体-宿主-寄生虫相互作用中的作用。最后，我们认为解决这些问题将有助于改进当前的工具和为未来开发新的干预措施。

本文是主题问题“蚊媒疾病的新型控制策略”的一部分。