Get your jokes about already sharing a bed with a cock out of the way, because a serious bit of research from academics at Addis Ababa University has found that chickens have the power to protect you from mosquitoes. 닭은 모기로부터 사람을 지켜주는 능력이 있다.
A study in Ethiopia has shown that the irritating little buggers keep well away from chickens, with four compounds present in chicken feathers -- isobutyl butyrate, naphthalene, hexadecane and trans-limonene -- believed to have a repellant effect. According to the experts, the birds sometimes eat mosquitoes too. 닭의 깃털 속에는 4가지 요소가 있어 인간을 귀찮게 구는 녀석들이 닭에게 근접하지 않는다. 그 4가지는 이소부틸 부티라트, 나프탈렌, 헥사데카네, 트랜스리모넨인데, 이 요소들이 모기를 퇴치하는 효과가 있는 걸로 여겨진다.
“We were surprised to find that malaria mosquitoes are repelled by the odours emitted by chickens,” said Professor Rickard Ignell of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, who was involved in the research. “This study shows for the first time that malaria mosquitoes actively avoid feeding on certain animal species, and that this behaviour is regulated through odour cues.” 닭에서 나오는 냄새가 말라리아 모기를 쫓는다. 말라리아 모기는 특정 동물종에 알을 낳는 걸 기피한다. 이런 행동은 냄새신호를 통해 이뤄진다.
As well as being decent pub chat material, the discovery could have major implications in the fight against malaria. Mosquitoes are largely responsible for spreading the disease, which leads to thousands of deaths per year, and this study could help us find effective defenses.
For now, it's worth keeping a bag of chicken feathers and a bit of glue handy in your suitcase at all times. [Independent]