Viagra Could Slow Down The Transmission Of Malaria To The Mosquito

Drug increases stiffness of infected erythrocytes, favouring their elimination from the blood circulation and reducing transmission to mosquitoes.

“French and British researchers have found a potential further use for sildenafil citrate, the active agent in Viagra. This could help prevent transmission of the mature malaria parasite from humans to mosquitoes. The study has been published in “PLOS One”.”……

The scientists thus sought to stiffen the infected erythrocytes such that the derformed red blood cells which are infected by the parasite may be picked up by the spleen of the human and destroyed. This is an interesting development possibly for those traveling to infected malaria areas, but that may be a stretch on my part.