Malaria Transmission Requires Two Mosquito Blood Meals

Steps:

• An infected human harbors gametocytes, the sexual stage of Plasmodium parasites.
• A mosquito ingests gametocytes during its first blood meal on the infected human.
• Parasites undergo sporogonic cycle in the mosquito, maturing into sporozoites over 10-14 days.
• The mosquito transmits sporozoites via saliva during a subsequent blood meal on another human.

Why B is correct:

• Malaria transmission follows the parasite's life cycle, requiring the mosquito to acquire gametocytes in one blood meal and inject sporozoites in at least a second meal after maturation.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Fails because a single meal only acquires the parasite; no transmission occurs without a second bite.
• C: Unnecessary, as two meals suffice for the cycle; extra feeds are not required.
• D: Exaggerates, since transmission needs only two feeds, not more.

Final answer: B