How does insect ecology and the life cycle of Plasmodium impact the epidemiology and pathogenesis of ...

 Malaria is spread only by female Anopheles mosquitoes, which are restricted to tropical and subtropical climates. Warm-blooded vertebrates such as humans are essential hosts for the parasite. These two factors restrict malaria to tropical and subtropical climates where significant human populations live next to or create standing water for the Anopheles mosquito to survive and multiply in. Fertilization occurs in the mosquito, but gamete production occurs in the human host; thus, both the mosquito and the human are required for the continued reproduction of the Plasmodium parasite. The malaria protist has a very complex life cycle, where it exists in many different forms such as sporozoites, merozoites, schizonts, gametes, and zyotes. A chill-fever pattern of the disease occurs when merozoites are released and lyse its host red blood cells. These symptoms alternate with asymptomatic periods when the parasite is multiplying in the red blood cells and liver.

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