Ingested histamine and serotonin interact to alter feeding and flight behavior and infection with parasites.

Blood levels of histamine and serotonin (5-HT) are altered in human malaria, and, at these levels, we have shown they have broad, independent effects on following ingestion by this invasive mosquito. Given that histamine and 5-HT are ingested together under natural conditions and that histaminergic and serotonergic signaling are networked in other organisms, we examined effects of combinations of these biogenic amines provisioned to at healthy human levels (high 5-HT, low histamine) or levels associated with severe malaria (low 5-HT, high histamine). Treatments were delivered in water (priming) before feeding on -infected mice or via artificial blood meal.