Mosquito repellency mediated by skin commensal Bacillus species via volatile metabolite reprogramming.

Bacillus species on human skin are linked to reduced mosquito attraction by reprogramming skin volatiles, with B. licheniformis and B. paralicheniformis significantly decreasing mosquito attraction in primates.

• Why it matters: Understanding factors that influence human attractiveness to mosquitoes is crucial for controlling vector-borne diseases, yet the microbial contributions to repellency remain unclear.
• What they did: The study combined human skin microbiome profiling, primate in situ interventions, and volatilomics, identifying Bacillus species as associated with repellency and testing targeted skin applications.
• The result: Enrichment of Bacillus species increased aromatic and fatty acid-derived volatiles like p-Cresol and decanoic acid, suggesting skin microbes can modulate mosquito host-seeking behavior and inform new control strategies.