Experiment in semi-natural conditions did not confirm the influence of malaria infection on bird attractiveness to mosquitoes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Changes in host phenotype following parasite infection are often considered as host manipulation when they seem advantageous for the parasite. However, putative cases of host manipulation by parasites are rarely tested in field-realistic conditions. Infection-induced phenotypic change cannot be conclusively considered as host manipulation if no evidence shows that this trait is adaptive for the parasite in the wild. Plasmodium sp., the parasites causing malaria in vertebrates, are hypothesized to "manipulate" their host by making their odour more attractive to mosquitoes, their vector and final host. While this is fairly well supported by studies on mice and humans, studies focusing on avian malaria give contradictory results.

Methods

In the present study, genotyp

SUBMITTER: Cozzarolo CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9164852 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature