American Vectors

“Vector: An organism (e.g., Anopheles mosquitoes) that transmits an infectious agent (e.g. malaria parasites) from one host to the other (e.g., humans).”

The title of the American Vectors project is in part, a reference to the concept of a vector as it is defined within biology (see above). The example of a biological vector most often used to explain the concept is the transmission of the disease malaria from one person to another. Malaria is usually spread via the bite of mosquitoes, that transfer the disease from one infected host (animal or human) to another (animal or human). Once bitten, disease causing parasites (P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae.) are transfered to the new host. The parasites and the toxins they produce destroy red blood cells in the host. Ugly stuff.