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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Building a Better Mosquito: Identifying the Genes Enabling Malaria and Dengue Fever Resistance in A. gambiae and A. aegypti Mosquitoes
Published on: July 4, 2007
Nature or nurture in mosquito resistance to malaria?
1Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Huxley Building, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK. h.hurd@keele.ac.uk
Abstract:
The genetic basis of mosquito resistance to malaria parasites is well established and currently receives a lot of attention. However this is not the sole determinant of the success or failure of an infection. In a recent article, Lambrechts and colleagues report the influence of the quality of the external environment of a mosquito on infection. They indicate that external variations could substantially reduce the importance of resistance genes in determining infection by malaria parasites. Furthermore, these variations could influence future plans to use malaria-resistant transgenic mosquitoes to control parasite transmission.
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