How mosquito spit affects immune system

Interaction of mosquito saliva which contains hundreds of proteins with the human immune system causes an immune response that can be detected for days after a mosquito bite, a new research has revealed. Around the globe, 750,000 people a year die of mosquito-transmitted diseases, including malaria, dengue, West Nile, Zika, and chikungunya fever.  Previous studies […]

Interaction of mosquito saliva which contains hundreds of proteins with the human immune system causes an immune response that can be detected for days after a mosquito bite, a new research has revealed.

Around the globe, 750,000 people a year die of mosquito-transmitted diseases, including malaria, dengue, West Nile, Zika, and chikungunya fever. 

Previous studies have shown that properties of a mosquito bite including mosquito saliva, exacerbate some of these diseases: Infections caused by a mosquito bite are often more severe than those caused by needle injection of the parasite.

In their new work, Rebecca Rico-Hesse, of Baylor College of Medicine, USA, and colleagues stated that understanding how mosquito saliva interacts with the human immune system not only helps us understand mechanisms of disease pathogenesis but also provide possibilities for treatment.