DNA analysis of human blood taken by mosquitoes show that School-Age Children are Key Players in Malaria Transmission in Malawi ~ Malaria mosquitoes do not select their human hosts randomly; and they rarely bite multiple people. This study (by Mbewe et al) analysed DNA of blood from humans and mosquitoes from Malawian homes to identify which individuals were most frequently bitten by [infected] malaria mosquitoes. They showed that school-age children (6-15 yrs old) were the most important demographic group contributing to mosquito-borne transmission, despite being under-represented in mosquito blood meals. Males aged 31-75 years old were over-represented in mosquito blood meals, but school-age children had the highest prevalence of malaria-infected blood meals. These findings suggest that malaria control efforts should prioritize targeting school-age children and males to effectively reduce transmission. In other words. Kids Count. ~ Mbewe et al |malariajournal.biomedcentral… by @MirLaufer Lauren Cohee @ttmalawi @goupeyou_youmsi