Avian malaria alters the dynamics of blood feeding in Culex pipiens mosquitoes
International audience ; Background: Some Plasmodium species have the ability to modify the behaviour of their mosquito vectors. This is thought to be an adaptive strategy that maximizes the parasite's transmission.Methods: The effect of Plasmodium...
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International audience ; Background: Some Plasmodium species have the ability to modify the behaviour of their mosquito vectors. This is thought to be an adaptive strategy that maximizes the parasite's transmission.Methods: The effect of Plasmodium relictum infections on the blood feeding behaviour of Culex pipiens quinquefas-ciatus mosquitoes was monitored.Results: Plasmodium infections did not alter the proportion of blood fed mosquitoes but they did affect the dynamics and the size of the blood meal. Sporozoite-infected mosquitoes completed their blood meal 1.3 times later than uninfected mosquitoes and ended up with smaller blood meals.Conclusion: The potential adaptive nature of this manipulation of mosquito behaviour is discussed in the light of previous studies on other malaria models.
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