Parasite Transmission
…for Malaria Programs
Our study of malaria transmission encompasses:
Events occurring during the bite or blood meal
a bite transmits parasites from the mosquito’s salivary glands into the dermis, sometimes initiating an infection in a human
a blood meal transmits parasites from the human blood stream into the lumen of the mosquito gut, sometimes initiating an infection in a mosquito
The study of parasite transmission in a sequence of bites or blood meals
we understand parasite dispersal through the locations of bites or blood meals, a study of malaria mixing and connectivity
we understand parasite persistence in a local population through the calculation of threshold conditions, or \(R_0\)