The more the insect bites, the more immune the immune system is.

Insect stings more is not necessarily bad. Their saliva can protect people from infectious diseases caused by parasites. Even scientists have taken into account the isolation of this protective saliva to enhance the strength of the immune system against diseases such as malaria or other deadly diseases.

This scenario comes after a recent study in mice showed that mosquito saliva can help people fight malaria.

Scientists have long recognized that people in areas where parasitic (live on insect) diseases such as Africa and the Middle East are better able to resist infectious diseases than those in other countries. other regions in the world.

The idea is that this defense is caused by "thickening" the body with parasites in life. However, recent research suggests that it is likely that contact with saliva from healthy insects (not carrying parasites) increases the immune system's resistance.

"In some areas, people can get thousands of bites every day," said Mary Ann McDowell, a parasite immunologist at Notre Dame University in Indiana, USA. "So, they get a lot of mosquito saliva."

McDowell's group had exposed mice to mosquitoes carrying malaria parasites. However, some of the animals had previously been bitten by mosquitoes (not carrying parasites).

As a result, groups of mice that have been exposed to saliva from healthy mosquitoes have lower levels of parasites in the blood and liver. That's because this saliva stimulates the immune system to secrete anti-infection chemicals.

McDowell's team is investigating whether a human malaria vaccine can be found from mosquito saliva.

T. An