Mosquito (IMAGE) Penn State Caption Because the malaria parasite Plasmodium cannot anticipate when it may be transmitted from a mosquito to a mammalian host, it uses specialized poly(A)-binding proteins to package and protect its genetic material for use after transmission. Credit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Usage Restrictions Image credit must be published alongside the image. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.