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Protective hemoglobinopathies and Plasmodium falciparum transmission

Human hemoglobin variants are known to protect the host against severe malaria due to P. falciparum. A new study demonstrates that such genetic variation may also be associated with increased transmission of this pathogen from the human host to the Anopheles vector.

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Figure 1: Genetic variation in the human host may affect transmission as part of the P. falciparum life cycle.

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Correspondence to Geoffrey Pasvol.

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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Pasvol, G. Protective hemoglobinopathies and Plasmodium falciparum transmission. Nat Genet 42, 284–285 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0410-284

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