Mosquito bites

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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

Mosquito bites are caused by the bite of a female mosquito. The female mosquito feeds off your blood by piercing your skin with her mouth (proboscis). While sucking your blood, she also deposits some of her saliva into your skin. This saliva contains proteins that remain in your skin. Your body's immune system may then react to those proteins, resulting in the characteristic itching and bump.

DS01075

May 10, 2008

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