Malaria parasites hide out in humans when it's not mosquito season

Malaria parasites hide out in humans when it's not mosquito season: Malaria parasites survive the mosquito-free dry season by waiting silently in humans for the return of the rainy season that brings back with it mosquitoes. New research, by an international team including Penn State scientists, helps explain how the Plasmodium falciparum parasite survives the disruption to its lifecycle, which requires development within the mosquito host for transmission between people. A paper describing the research appears Oct. 26 in the journal Nature Medicine.