Résumé
Avian malaria has historically played an important role as a model in the
study of human malaria, being a stimulus for the development of medical
parasitology. Avian malaria has recently come back to the research scene
as a unique animal model to understand the ecology and evolution of the
disease, both in the field and in the laboratory. Avian malaria is highly
prevalent in birds and mosquitoes around the world and is amenable to
laboratory experimentation at each stage of the parasite's life
cycle. Here, we take stock of 5 years of experimental laboratory research
carried out using Plasmodium relictum SGS1, the most prevalent avian
malaria lineage in Europe, and its natural vector, the mosquito Culex
pipiens. For this purpose, we compile and analyse data obtained in our
laboratory in 14 different experiments. We provide statistical
relationships between different infection-related parameters, including
parasitaemia, gametocytaemia, host morbidity (anaemia) and transmission
rates to mosquitoes. This analysis provides a wide-ranging picture of the
within-host and between-host parameters that may bear on malaria
transmission and epidemiology.