Existing Infection Facilitates Establishment and Density of Malaria Parasites in Their Mosquito Vector

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005003
• Publication Date: 2015-07-16T17:45:30Z
• Authors: Laura C. Pollitt; Joshua T. Bram; Simon Blanford; Matthew J. Jones; Andrew F. Read
• Keywords: Plasmodium (life cycle); Strain (injury); Parasitic infection

Very little is known about how vector-borne pathogens interact within their vector and this impacts transmission. Here we show that mosquitoes can accumulate mixed strain malaria infections after feeding on multiple hosts. We found parasites have a greater chance of establishing reach higher densities if another already present in mosquito. Mixed contained more but these larger populations did not detectable impact survival. Together results suggest taking infective bites may disproportionally contribute to This will increase rates vertebrate hosts, with implications for the evolution parasite virulence spread drug-resistant strains. Moreover, control measures reduce prevalence hosts likelihood feeds, thus More generally, our study shows types interactions detected cannot necessarily be extrapolated vectors.