In Africa, the Anopheles gambiae mosquito is the principle carrier of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous of four different parasites.

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Another practical point is that the type of malarial parasite used in this and many other experiments is not actually one that causes human disease.

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Sir Ronald, who discovered the malarial parasite living in the gastrointestinal tract of the Anopheles mosquito in the 19th Century, recruited teams to eliminate the larvae from stagnant pools and marshes.

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This parasite is not, however, as deadly as Plasmodium falciparum, the main cause of malarial mortality.

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