Revealed: The blood types which make you most attractive to mosquitoes in the heatwave

Do you know your blood type? Because depending on the type of red stuff flowing through your veins, you could be especially delicious for mosquitoes in the summer heatwave.
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Researchers have found that people with a particular blood group are targeted by mosquitoes twice as often as other blood types.

So knowing the type of blood you have could be key in battling against the annoying insects this summer.

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Because of the intensely hot weather, mosquitoes, normally associated with warm climes, have boomed in recent months.

MosquitoesMosquitoes
Mosquitoes

Which blood types do mosquitoes like best?

According to research published by the US National Library of Medicine, those with type O blood attracted more mosquitoes than all other blood groups - B, AB and A.

Type A is the next most popular for mosquitoes, followed by Type B.

Research also showed that about 85% of people secrete something in their skin which tells mosquitoes what type of blood you have. So if you're in that category, and a type O, you're out of luck.

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Type O blood is also subject to a blood drive in Leeds right now, with an NHS appeal for more donors to come forward and urgently help top up supplies.

-> Urgent need for negative O blood in Leeds after heatwave and World Cup cut donationsWhat to do if you're bitten by a blood-sucking insect this summer

Brits may have been basking in the tropical sunshine over the past few weeks, but the downside to the balmy weather is that painful bites by bloodsucking insects have soared.

Calls to the NHS helpline 111 about bites from insects are nearly double the average for this time of year, and senior doctors are reporting incidents of patients being treated in hospital for infected horsefly bites.

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Despite the warm weather, experts say standing water – such as garden paddling pools – where insects thrive should be removed.

Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “We wouldn’t normally see anyone coming to hospital for a bite, but we have seen a few recently needing treatment with antibiotics, which is very unusual.

“A couple of these were infected bites from horseflies. They actually give one of the nastier bites, because they take a chunk out of you. “They can be very painful, and can take a while to heal, and as a result can get infected and need antibiotics. In the worst-case scenario, they can cause cellulitis, an infection of the skin.”