Title: Summary
Course: Communicable Diseases Part 1 - Ethiopia (Full)

In this study session, you have learned that:

- Malaria is a major public health problem in the world, Africa and Ethiopia, affecting millions of people each year.
- The malaria parasite is transmitted from person to person by the bite of female mosquitoes.
- The parasite is taken by the mosquito when feeding on an infected person.
- The parasite develops and multiplies in the mosquito body and the cycle takes about 10 days, depending on the temperature.
- The parasites are injected into humans when the mosquito bites.
- Studying the life cycle of the malaria parasite that causes human malaria makes understanding the pathology, signs, symptoms and treatment of the disease easier.
- Water collections are important for vector breeding.
- Malaria is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes only; the larvae of Anopheles mosquitoes can be easily distinguished from other non-vector mosquitoes.
- A female Anopheles mosquito needs to feed on blood to develop its eggs and reproduce.
- The life cycle of the malaria vector from egg to adult takes 8 to 12 days, depending on temperature.
- The vectors bite people from dusk to dawn.
- The vectors can bite people indoors or outdoors.
- The vectors feeding indoors are likely to spend some time resting inside houses after taking a blood meal.
- Understanding the behaviour of the vector is important to plan preventive measures.