WHAT IS MALARIA?
Malaria is a disease caused by a parasitic protozoan belonging to the genus Plasmodium. Among the various species present in nature, only four are major causes of malaria in humans. The vector responsible for transmitting the disease is a mosquito of the genus Anopheles: only females are capable of transmitting malaria; in order for their eggs to mature, they must take a blood meal by biting a host man at which time either they acquire initial infection ingesting gametocytes or inject the parasites (sporozoites) thus producing infections [39]. Males, by contrast, feed on plant sap and nectar and are not involved in disease transmission.