title: Colonization of Anopheles cracens: a malaria vector of emerging importance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anopheles cracens has been incriminated as a vector for the simian malaria parasite, Plasmodium knowlesi, that is the fifth Plasmodium species infecting humans. Little experimental data exists on this mosquito species due to the lack of its availability in laboratories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The population of An. cracens, collected from Kuala Lipis, Pahang was maintained at the insectary of the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya at 24-26°C and 60-80% relative humidity. The mosquitoes were maintained with artificial mating and blood-fed on humans and hamsters. The colony has been established since November 2011 and to date has reached its sixth generation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first description of maintaining the Malaysian strain An. cracens colony by artificial mating. Colonization of An. cracens will provide fundamental information for genetic studies and will be useful in assessing comparative susceptibility to Plasmodium parasites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Amirah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amir
authors.forename: Jia Siang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sum
authors.forename: Yee Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Indra
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vythilingam
authors.forename: Mun Yik
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Fong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000254:growth & development*; D001947:Breeding; D006224:Cricetinae; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004772:Entomology / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male
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