The tiny mosquito-borne parasites that cause malaria may also change the body odour of those they infect, making people more attractive to mosquitoes that spread it.

It is well-known that some people seem to attract more mosquito bites than others. Past research has suggested that the chemicals found in body odour – which may be influenced by your genes or hormones – play a role in how attractive you are. Ailie Robinson at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and her colleagues sought to …