Optimal temperature for malaria transmission is dramatically lower than previously predicted

• Published in: Ecology letters Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 22 - 30
• Main Authors: Mordecai, Erin A., Paaijmans, Krijn P., Johnson, Leah R., Balzer, Christian, Ben-Horin, Tal, de Moor, Emily, McNally, Amy, Pawar, Samraat, Ryan, Sadie J., Smith, Thomas C., Lafferty, Kevin D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2013; Blackwell
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Anopheles; Biological and medical sciences; Climate Change; Culicidae - parasitology; Culicidae - physiology; disease ecology; Disease transmission; Ecology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Host-Parasite Interactions; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Malaria; Malaria - transmission; Medical sciences; Models, Biological; Mosquitoes; Parasitic diseases; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - physiology; Protozoal diseases; Temperature; Temperature effects; Africa; Protozoa; Apicomplexa; Protozoal disease; Temperature; Disease; Malaria; Insecta; Transmission; Parasite; Environmental factor; Ecology; Parasitosis; Dynamical climatology; Infection; Climate change; Plasmodium falciparum; Anopheles; Arthropoda; Culicidae; Ectoparasite; Invertebrata; disease ecology; Vector; Diptera

The ecology of mosquito vectors and malaria parasites affect the incidence, seasonal transmission and geographical range of malaria. Most malaria models to date assume constant or linear responses of mosquito and parasite life‐history traits to temperature, predicting optimal transmission at 31 °C....