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The malaria parasite is well known for hijacking red blood cells in its potentially deadly quest to spread to its next unsuspecting victim via a mosquito bite.But scientists have discovered it has another surprising trick up its sleeve: it can lurk undetected in the spleen, which filters blood.Key points:Scientists had long suspected this finding but had no direct evidence until nowThe discovery rewrites what we know about the life cycle of this insidious parasite that infects millions of people …

Artificial light abnormally increases mosquito biting behavior at night in a species that typically prefers to bite people during the day, according to research from the University of Notre Dame that was published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.Increased biting by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which normally fly and bite in the early morning and during the afternoon, highlights the concern that increasing levels of light pollution could impact transmission of diseases such …

The blood suckers evolve resistance, but their predators don't, according to a new study in Costa RicaBy Jake BuehlerPUBLISHED MAY 31, 2019INSECTICIDES IN AT least one area are not only failing to control mosquitoes, new research suggests, they’re actually allowing the blood-sucking pests to thrive—by killing off their predators.The study, published this month in the journal Oecologia, reveals a new wrinkle in how insecticides may be impacting ecosystems. Mosquitoes in the study area in Costa Ri …