@article{fdi:010040809,
  title = {{A}ggregation in malaria parasites places limits on mosquito infection rates},
  author = {{P}aul, {R}. {E}. {L}. and {B}onnet, {S}ylvain and {B}oudin, {C}hristian and {T}chuinkam, {T}. and {R}obert, {V}incent},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{G}ametocytes are responsible for the transmission of malaria parasites, {P}lasmodium spp., from man to mosquito. {A}lthough transmission success, as measured by the proportion of mosquitoes infected, generally increases with gametocyte density, the proportion of parasites that are gametocytes is always paradoxically only a few percent of the asexual blood parasites. {T}o address this paradox, we analyse transmission data sets from an urban and an adjacent rural setting in {C}ameroon to elucidate whether there are discernable, lower and upper limits to {P}lasmodium falciparum gametocyte density that are linked to transmission success. {W}e find that there exists a lower gametocyte density at which mosquito infection rates considerably increase. {I}n addition, we identify upper gametocyte densities at which mosquito infection rates level off. {G}reatest increases in infection rates occur at low gametocyte densities and coincide with maximum oocyst aggregation within the infected mosquito population. {T}his aggregated oocyst distribution remains despite increases in gametocyte density and ever-decreasing gains in mosquito infection rates. {T}here is increasing suggestion that malaria parasites have evolved sex allocation strategies to ensure transmission in response to a changing, transmission-blocking environment. {H}ere transmission-blocking immunity is proposed not only to ensure low density gametocyte transmission success but also to impose upper limits on transmission success.},
  keywords = {malaria ; {P}lasmodium falciparum ; gametocytes ; transmission ; transmission blocking immunity ; mosquitoes ; {CAMEROUN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{I}nfection {G}enetics and {E}volution},
  volume = {7},
  numero = {5},
  pages = {577--586},
  ISSN = {1567-1348},
  year = {2007},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.meegid.2007.04.004},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010040809},
}