A "putrid" smell coming from a man might signal he has a sexually transmitted disease, according to Russian scientists.
The so-called sniff test long has been appreciated in mice and rats, as scientists have found the lab animals are not attracted to others in the cage that had diseases. That finding led to the recent study.
“Our research revealed that infection disease reduces odor attractiveness in humans," wrote Mikhail Moshkin, a professor at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia.
Moshkin, lead author of the research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, conducted a small study of 34 Russians, ages 17 to 25, who agreed to donate samples of underarm perspiration and saliva. Of the 34 in the group, 18 had gonorrhea and 16 were healthy.
Eighteen female students from Kemerovo State University in Russia were charged as sniffers, using their own methods to obtain the bodily fluids.
"The results couldn’t have been more obvious," according to a report on MSNBC. "When they were asked to characterize the scent, the gals said that nearly 50 percent of the infected men’s sweat smelled 'putrid.' "
The researchers concluded that, like animals, men and women let scent lead them to their mates.
“We can conclude that unpleasant body odor of infected persons can reduce the probability of a dangerous partnership,” the scientists wrote.