Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals emitted as products of cell metabolism, which reflects the physiological and pathological conditions of any living organisms. These compounds play a key role as olfactory cues for arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes, sand flies, and ticks, which act in the transmission of pathogens to many animal species, including humans. Some VOCs may influence arthropod behaviour, e.g., host preference and oviposition site selection for gravid females. Furthermore, deadly vector-borne pathogens such as Plasmodium falciparum and Leishmania infantum are suggested to manipulate the VOCs profile of the host to make them more attractive to mosquitoes and sand fly vectors, respectively. Under the above circumstances, studies on these compounds have demonstrated their potential usefulness for investigating the behavioural response of mosquitoes, sand flies, and ticks toward their vertebrate hosts, as well as potential tools for diagnosis of vector-borne diseases (VBDs). Herein, we provide an account for scientific data available on VOCs to study the host seeking behaviour of arthropod vectors, and their usefulness as attractants, repellents, or tools for an early diagnosis of VBDs.

Department of Agriculture Food and Environment University of Pisa Pisa Italy

Department of Parasitology Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China

Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Bari Bari Italy

Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie Alimenti Risorse Naturali e Ingegneria University of Foggia Foggia Italy

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Phlebotomus perniciosus response to volatile organic compounds of dogs and humans