Mosquito Allergy IgE Blood Test

Order a mosquito allergy IgE blood test to detect an allergy to mosquitos. This test measures the amount of allergen-specific antibodies in a blood sample.

Almost everyone is susceptible to mosquito bites. But the symptoms can be more than just irritating for those with serious allergies. For allergic individuals, the symptoms may be severe. Mosquitos are most active around dusk or dawn; thus, this is when most bites occur. Male mosquitoes are harmless to people and animals, feeding only on water and nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes bite both individuals and animals to obtain blood for a meal. This blood meal is what allows the female mosquito to produce eggs.

When a female mosquito finds an adequate meal, she lands on an area of exposed skin and injects her mouthpart (proboscis) to draw blood. The proboscis is a long, flexible tube that extrudes from the head and can pierce human skin. While the female is feeding, she injects saliva into the individual or animal's skin, causing the typical symptoms of a red bump and itching. These effects are caused by the proteins present in the mosquito's saliva rather than the bite itself. 

It appears that mosquitoes favor some victims over others, including:

• Pregnant women
• Men
• Individuals with type O blood
• Individuals who are overweight or obese
• Individuals who emit higher amounts of lactic acid, uric acid, and ammonia
• Individuals who have exercised recently
• Individuals who have been drinking beer

Mosquitos are attracted to heat; therefore, wearing dark colors makes an individual more likely to get bitten. This is due to darker colors absorbing heat. Individuals that live in swamplands or humid, tropical climates are also considered to be at a higher risk for bites.

Signs that a mosquito has bitten an individual may include:

• A puffy reddish bump appears shortly after the bite
• An itchy, hard, reddish-brown bump appears a day or so after the bite 
• Dark spots that resemble bruises
• Small blisters instead of hard bumps

An allergy to mosquitos triggers a reaction in an individual's immune system. The body views certain substances as toxic and produces IgE antibodies to these contaminants. These antibodies cause histamine to be released, which will cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Allergy symptoms vary from one individual to the next ranging from mild to severe reactions, which can be experienced within minutes to a few hours after being bitten. Common symptoms of a mosquito allergy may include one or more of the following symptoms:

• A large area of swelling and redness
• Low-grade fever
• Hives
• Swollen lymph nodes