Be sure to use lots of deet, and always use mosquito netting, the kind that goes all the way to the floor so your arms or legs wont stick out. An ounce of prevention……

……………….

Aside from the fact that it’s the bane of human civilization, Plasmodium is actually a fascinating and clever little critter. It’s got a bag of tricks that any Iraqi insurgent would envy….

For another example, when Plasmodium infects red blood cells, it produces special “adhesion” proteins that make the blood cell stick to the walls of the vessel. This keeps it away from the spleen which might otherwise recognize the infected cell and destroy it(the spleen is Plasmodium’s worst nightmare.) Yet somehow, it prevents the immune system from recognizing these alien proteins and making antibodies against them….

Living inside a host body is no free ride, and blood is, in fact, one of the most un-friendly environments on earth. It’s a minefield of toxins, “complement” proteins, lytic enzymes, killer cells, and antibodies designed to cripple and destroy invaders.

If you’re interested, read Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer, is you ever come across it…..

anyway, I don’t know why I get so exited about a single celled parasite,
~J.W.