Malaria's Primary Transmission Vector

Steps:

• Recall that malaria is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium species.
• Identify the vector: Female Anopheles mosquitoes bite infected humans and ingest parasites.
• Understand transmission: Mosquitoes inject sporozoites into new hosts during bites, spreading the disease.
• Eliminate non-vector methods: No direct person-to-person spread except rare cases like blood transfusion.

Why C is correct:

• Malaria parasites (Plasmodium) are transmitted via the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, as defined by the CDC and WHO epidemiology.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Airborne droplets do not transmit malaria; it's not a respiratory pathogen.
• B: Contaminated needles can transmit in rare bloodborne cases but not the normal route.
• D: Sexual intercourse does not spread malaria; it's not a sexually transmitted infection.

Final answer: C