Why is the effect of malaria parasites on mosquito survival still unresolved?
Despite almost a century of effort, the question of whether malaria parasites kill their mosquito vectors remains open. Some direct comparisons of the longevity of infected and uninfected mosquitoes have found malaria-induced mortality, whereas others have not. Here, we use meta-analysis to show that, overall, malaria parasites do reduce mosquito survival. However, mortality effects are more likely to be detected in unnatural vector-parasite combinations and in studies of longer duration. Until these factors are systematically investigated, no firm generalities are possible.
Ferguson
Heather M
HM
Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK. heather.ferguson@ed.ac.uk
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Andrew F
AF
D000818:Animals; D009033:Culicidae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity