Evolutionary ecology and epidemiology of interactions between Anopheles mosquitos and malaria

The transmission of malaria is largely determined by two parameters: the bi ting rate of the mosquito vector and its mortality. In this paper, data on the interactions among these parameters are reviewed to describe possible e volutionary mechanisms underlying the parasite's life cycle. In particular, in contrast to conventional wisdom about medical entomology, the author su ggests that malaria parasites are not always expected to minimise the damag e they inflict on their mosquito host. Rather, when they have developed int o the infectious stage, they can increase their transmission by manipulatin g the mosquito to bite more frequently; this, however, is associated with a higher risk of being killed by the human host. This example illustrates th at parameters determining malaria transmission can only be understood by in tegrating ecological and evolutionary ideas into more traditional epidemiol ogy. Such an evolutionary view of malaria and mosquitoes will eventually le ad to a better understanding of the epidemiology of malaria and may help to predict the effect of malaria control.