Sporozoite load of mosquitoes infected with Plasmodium falciparum

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 83; no. 1; pp. 67 - 70
• Main Authors: Ponnudurai, T., Lensen, A.H.W., van Gemert, G.J.A., Bensink, M.P.E., Bolmer, M., Meuwissen, J.H.E.Th
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1989; Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Anopheles - parasitology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood - parasitology; Colony Count, Microbial; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis; Malaria; Medical sciences; Parasitic diseases; Plasmodium falciparum - isolation & purification; Protozoa; Protozoal diseases; Rats; Salivary Glands - parasitology; Time Factors; Tropical medicine; Protozoa; Host parasite relation; Insecta; Salivary gland; Sporozoit; Parasitosis; Infection; Life cycle; Plasmodium falciparum; Anopheles stephensi; Arthropoda; Animal; Culicidae; Blood meal; Invertebrata; Parasitemia; Pathogen; Sporozoa; Vector; Diptera
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1016/0035-9203(89)90708-6

In the laboratory, mosquitoes given a second blood meal 5–11 d after an infective one have more sporozoites in their salivary glands than do those given a single infective blood meal only. The presence of specific anti-sporozoite antibody in the second blood meal does not reduce the number of sporozoites in salivary glands. On the contrary, the presence of the raised immunoglobulin levels—even non-specific ones—may result in higher gland infections. Oocyst maturation is extremely asynchronous in mosquitoes given a single blood meal, the maturation time being 10–22 d or more. The explanation for the increased density of sporozoites in salivary glands in mosquitoes having a second blood meal may be acceleration of oocyst maturation. Multiple blood meals are a normal event for infectious mosquitoes in nature, and therefore have no special epidemiological significance. However, in the laboratory a second blood meal could be a simple procedure for increasing the efficiency of sporozoite production.