Influence of skin color in dengue and malaria: A case control study

Authors: Sridhar Amalakanti, Gandhi Venkata Viswanadh Manchu, Trivikrama Rao Mopidevi and BalaKasi Naik Bukke
Mosquitoes preferentially bite certain individuals by visual and olfactory cues. Dengue and Malaria, two of the most widespread mosquito borne diseases may be more common in people with certain skin tone due this fact. We compared the skin color (Fitzpatrick Scale) as a risk factor to be afflicted by dengue or malaria in 132 patients and 127 controls in a tertiary hospital in India. There was no significant difference in the skin tone between the patients with mosquito borne diseases (4.6±1.4) and controls (4.7±1.3), P=0.2. Our clinical study elucidates the role of skin color in dengue and malaria, pointing out the need for more experimental and clinical studies.

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