Question

Man in the life cycle of Plasmodium is

• A. Primary host
• B. Secondary host
• C. Intermediate host
• D. None of these

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Secondary host

A secondary host or intermediate host is a host that harbours the parasite only for a short transition period, during which (usually) some developmental stage is completed. The primary host of Plasmodium is female Anopheles mosquito which first takes in the parasite by feeding on the blood of an infected person. Plasmodium undergoes sexual phase in the mosquito and produces sporozoites. When this mosquito bites the human, the sporozoites are released. Thus, man and other vertebrates are a secondary host. So, the correct answer is 'Secondary host.