Figures
A female Anopheles gambiae, the world's most important vector of human malaria, resting on a flower of the flame tree, Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Compared to the important effort devoted to the genetic and molecular study of the ability of mosquitoes to transmit malaria parasites, relatively few studies have considered the ecological context in which mosquitoes and parasites interact. Recent studies reveal a great diversity of ways in which environmental conditions interfere with the mosquito immune response and parasite development, with far-reaching evolutionary and epidemiological implications. However, much research remains to be done. For example, in addition to feeding on blood, malaria vectors readily use natural plant nectars as sources of energy. Whether natural plant diversity affects mosquito competence for malaria parasites remains to be discovered. See Lefèvre et al.
Image Credit: Thierry Lefèvre
Citation: (2013) PLOS Pathogens Issue Image | Vol. 9(6) June 2013. PLOS Pathog 9(6): ev09.i06. https://doi.org/10.1371/image.ppat.v09.i06
Published: June 27, 2013
Copyright: © 2013 Lefèvre. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Compared to the important effort devoted to the genetic and molecular study of the ability of mosquitoes to transmit malaria parasites, relatively few studies have considered the ecological context in which mosquitoes and parasites interact. Recent studies reveal a great diversity of ways in which environmental conditions interfere with the mosquito immune response and parasite development, with far-reaching evolutionary and epidemiological implications. However, much research remains to be done. For example, in addition to feeding on blood, malaria vectors readily use natural plant nectars as sources of energy. Whether natural plant diversity affects mosquito competence for malaria parasites remains to be discovered. See Lefèvre et al.
Image Credit: Thierry Lefèvre