Can mosquitoes help to unravel the community structure of Plasmodium species?
There has been a recent revival in attempts to understand changes in patterns of abundance of Plasmodium spp. that infect humans. This has been driven by the purportedly beneficial effects of co-infection on clinical pathology and the recognition of Plasmodium vivax as a public health problem in its own right. In contrast to the attention given to mixed-species infections in humans, parasite infections and interactions within the mosquito vector remain poorly documented, even though the distribution of vector-borne parasites such as Plasmodium spp. depends on vector-vertebrate and, crucially, vector-parasite interactions. To understand malaria epidemiology and to design appropriate control measures, this gap must be re-addressed.
Boëte
Christophe
C
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Laboratoire Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses, 911 avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 05, France. cboete@no-log.org
Paul
Richard E L
RE
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D009033:Culicidae / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity