EXPOSURE to the saliva of biting insects could later protect people against infection by insect-borne parasites. If the components of saliva that confer protection can be isolated, they could be used to boost the strength of future vaccines against malaria and other deadly diseases.
The phenomenon has previously been documented in leishmaniasis – a skin disease spread by sandflies that currently afflicts many soldiers returning from Iraq. Now a study in mice has shown mosquito saliva can protect against malaria.
People who live in regions where insect-borne parasitic diseases are widespread, such as Africa and the Middle East, often show greater…
