Malaria parasites have evolved to be most infectious at the time of day when mosquitoes feed, to maximise the chance of being spread, research shows.
Malaria parasites have evolved to be most infectious at the time of day when mosquitoes feed, to maximise the chance of being spread, research shows.
The finding explains why people with the disease experience regular bouts of fever. These occur as the parasites that cause malaria replicate in the bloodstream of infected people or animals, in preparation for being picked up by a biting mosquito.
The study is the first to provide strong evidence for this idea, which was first suggested 50 years ago.
Bednet Use
As increasing use of bednets by people in affected regions drives mosquitoes to feed during the day, malaria parasites may also have to adapt their behaviour so that they are better able to spread infection in the daytime, the results suggest.
Read more at University of Edinburgh
Image: Malaria parasites have evolved to be most infectious at the time of day when mosquitoes feed, to maximize the chance of being spread, research from the University of Edinburgh shows. (Credit: Sinclair Stammers and Sarah Reece)
