Pathology of Anopheles stephensi after infection with Plasmodium berghei berghei. I. Mortality rate.

The mortality of P. berghei-infected Anopheles stephensi females can be about 30% higher during the first three days than in normal blood-fed mosquitoes. As expected the mortality is higher after feeding on highly infected mice but also depends on the date of feeding and the temperature. Infected mosquitoes kept at 25 degrees C die more often than those kept at 21 degrees C. On the other hand sporozoite production needs the low temperature of 21 degrees C. So the sporozoite production rate falls with increasing temperature, and the mortality rate increases.