Gametocytemia and attractiveness of Plasmodium falciparum–infected Kenyan children to Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes
Parasites alter the characteristics or behaviour of their hosts to increase their transmission success and fitness, including malaria parasite
Abstract
Numerous parasites alter the characteristics or behaviour of their hosts to increase their transmission success and fitness, including the malaria parasite.
This article further explores the hypothesis that the sexual stage of the malaria parasite in the blood (gametocytes) causes increased attractiveness of humans to mosquitoes. The investigators used a double-chambered instrument that measures or detects the sense of smell, to test the attractiveness of the malaria mosquito to 50 Kenyan children (aged 5–12 years) who were naturally infected with the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, or those who were uninfected. Their findings support the hypothesis that the malaria parasite manipulates human attractiveness to the malaria mosquito. These results will contribute to development of improved odour-baited trapping devices.
This is an output of the ‘Integrated Vector Management for Sustainable Malaria Control in Eastern Africa’ project. It is partly funded by the UK Department for International Development, a core donor of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology.
Citation
Busula A.O., Bousema T., Mweresa C.K., Masiga D., Logan J.G., Sauerwein R.W., Verhulst N.O., Takken W. and de Boer J.G. (2017) Gametocytemia and attractiveness of Plasmodium falciparum–infected Kenyan children to Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. The Journal of Infectious Diseases 0000, 1–5. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jix1214.