Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Cells, Microbes & Viruses => Topic started by: thedoc on 06/07/2016 02:50:02

Title: Do antihistamines reduce the chances of catching mosquito born viruses?
Post by: thedoc on 06/07/2016 02:50:02

Tony Dorn asked the Naked Scientists:
   Dear Naked Scientists
I heard in your Perfect Dinner Party podcast (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/) that itchy mosquito bites can boost your chances of catching viruses.
I am a gardener who regularly  takes antihistamine tablets to stop getting rashes from some plants that I  have to handle.
I have noticed that when I get bitten by a spider or mosquito the site of the bite hardly gets inflamed at all and is seldom itchy.
Has anyone checked to see if antihistamines might reduce the chances of catching viruses introduced through mosquito bites?
Regards
Tony
What do you think?

Title: Re: Do antihistamines reduce the chances of catching mosquito born viruses?
Post by: exothermic on 09/07/2016 13:32:05

Quote

I have noticed that when I get bitten by a spider or mosquito the site of the bite hardly gets inflamed at all and is seldom itchy. Has anyone checked to see if antihistamines might reduce the chances of catching viruses introduced through mosquito bites?

Mosquito-born viruses are transmitted through an intracellular mechanism via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Antihistamines merely alter the release of histamine at H1 and H2 receptors, so no.... virus transmission won't be influenced.