Biting time of day in malaria mosquitoes is modulated by nutritional status.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Transmission of vector-borne pathogens follows daily rhythms, occurring at the time of day that vectors forage for blood. Control measures, such as insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), have been particularly successful for reducing malaria transmission because they exploit the nocturnal biting behaviour of the Anopheles spp. that vector malaria. However, shifts in biting behaviour to earlier or later hours when people are unprotected can undermine the efficacy of ITNs. Despite the implications for malaria transmission, the mechanisms underlying these shifts remain poorly understood. Because food availability mediates activity and foraging rhythms, and ITNs block access to human blood as a food source, it was hypothesized that nutritional deprivation could cause mosquitoe

SUBMITTER: Oke CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12487319 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature