Monte Carlo simulations were developed to assess the potential impact of parasite pathology on vector salivary function as well as of host haemostasis on transmission. Assuming that a proportion of desisting vectors switch host following failure to locate blood, we demonstrate three possible consequences: (1) infected vectors contact more hosts than non-infected host, (2) non-infected vectors are biased to infected hosts, independently of attraction, and (3) an exponential relationship exists between parasite load and transmission. We discuss possible epidemiological implications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.