Multiple blood feeding in mosquitoes shortens the Plasmodium falciparum incubation period and increases malaria transmission potential

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009131
• Publication Date: 2020-12-31T18:40:36Z
• Authors: W. Robert Shaw; Inga E. Holmdahl; Maurice A. Itoe; Kristine Werling; Meghan Marquette; Douglas G. Paton; Naresh Singh; Caroline O. Buckee; Lauren M. Childs; Flaminia Catteruccia
• Keywords: Anopheles gambiae; Plasmodium (life cycle); Incubation period; Blood meal; Basic reproduction number

Many mosquito species, including the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae , naturally undergo multiple reproductive cycles of blood feeding, egg development and laying in their lifespan. Such complex behavior is regularly overlooked when mosquitoes are experimentally infected with parasites, limiting our ability to accurately describe potential effects on transmission. Here, we examine how Plasmodium falciparum transmission impacted feed an additional time. We measured P . oocyst size performed sporozoite time course analyses determine parasite’s extrinsic incubation period (EIP), i.e. required by parasites reach infectious stages, An females fed either once or twice. at 3 days post infection drastically accelerates growth rates, causing earlier accumulation salivary glands, thereby shortening EIP (reduction 2.3 ± 0.4 days). Moreover, parasite further accelerated transgenic reduced capacity, which mimic genetic modifications currently proposed population suppression gene drives. incorporate shortened values into a measure potential, basic reproduction number R 0 find average higher (range: 10.1%–12.1% increase) across sub-Saharan Africa than using traditional measurements. These data suggest that elimination may be substantially more challenging younger those provide larger contribution believed. Our findings have profound implications for current future control interventions.