Mosquitoes are becoming thirstier for human blood

Habitat loss may be pushing mosquitoes towards human hosts with deadly consequences

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Mosquitoes may be targeting humans more than other animals, according to a new study, raising concerns that habitat loss is pushing disease-carrying insects closer to people.

A team of researchers in Brazil's Atlantic Forest found that mosquitoes captured inside nature reserves showed a striking preference for human blood - a shift they say is driven by declining wildlife populations.

“It’s only a matter of time before these mosquitoes become adapted to humans,” Dr Sergio Machado, one of the study’s authors, told BBC Science Focus. “Once that happens, I think it'll be difficult to reverse the process of them living with us.”