No evidence for manipulation of Anopheles gambiae, An. coluzzii and An. arabiensis host preference by Plasmodium falciparum.

ABSTRACT: Whether malaria parasites can manipulate mosquito host choice in ways that enhance parasite transmission toward suitable hosts and/or reduce mosquito attraction to unsuitable hosts (i.e. specific manipulation) is unknown. To address this question, we experimentally infected three species of mosquito vectors with wild isolates of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, and examined the effects of immature and mature infections on mosquito behavioural responses to combinations of calf odour, human odour and outdoor air using a dual-port olfactometer. Regardless of parasite developmental stage and mosquito species, P. falciparum infection did not alter mosquito activation rate or their choice for human odours. The overall expression pattern of host choice of all three mosquito speci

SUBMITTER: Nguyen PL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5572726 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature