title: Do developing malaria parasites manipulate their mosquito host? Evidence from infected Anopheles funestus (Giles) from Mozambique.
abstract: Mosquito survival is linked to the activities performed in each oviposition cycle, whilst development of malaria parasites in them is largely temperature dependent. Extending the oviposition cycle of the mosquito, even as a side effect of normal development of the parasite, may enhance malaria transmission. A study was therefore undertaken to compare the time spent before returning to feed among infected and uninfected host seeking Anopheles funestus from a village in southern Mozambique. The stomachs of 2073 parous mosquitoes (1289 with sacs, indicative of a rapid return to host-seeking and 784 without sacs indicating a delay in host-seeking) from four extended sampling periods were examined for oocysts. From three of these, and overall, significantly more mosquitoes without sacs had oocysts than mosquitoes with sacs (Fishers Exact Test P=0.0051). This is the first time that possible effects on oviposition cycle length among infected vectors of human malaria have been demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: DBL Centre for Health, Research & Development, Thorvaldesvej 1871, Fredriksberg, Denmark. jdcharlwood@gmail.com
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Charlwood
authors.forename: E V E
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Tomás
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000635:transmission*; D009073:Mozambique / Q000453:epidemiology; D033661:Oocysts / Q000502:physiology*; D010058:Oviposition