What occurs after the infective bite of an Anopheles mosquito in malaria infection?

• A. A period of no symptoms with hepatic replication and an incubation period of 7–30 days
• B. Immediate symptoms develop
• C. Parasites immediately multiply in red blood cells
• D. The infection is cleared spontaneously

Answer: (A)

After an Anopheles mosquito bite, the transmitted sporozoites first travel to the liver and undergo hepatic schizogony, meaning they multiply inside liver cells to produce merozoites. This liver stage is asymptomatic and sets up an incubation period, typically about 7–30 days depending on the parasite species and host factors. Only after merozoites are released from the liver do the parasites invade red blood cells, leading to the clinical, symptomatic blood-stage malaria. So the initial silent hepatic replication with an incubation period is the step that occurs right after the infective bite.