S and poor specificity due to circulating antigens originating from the rupture of oocysts [15] or from other non-malaria antigens [29]. This phenomenon has been highlighted in other studies when testing the plasma fractions of pig and bovine blood in Thailand [30]. In Senegal, false positive results were also associated with bovine and/or sheep blood meals when testing An. gambiae s.l. for the presence of P. malariae and P. ovale [31]. In most studies where false positive ELISA results were reported in mosquitoes [31,32,33,34], only head and thoraces were used for ELISA assays hence excluding the possible 
contamination with oocyst-Madrasin web sporozoites present in the abdomen. In this study, the real-time PCR identified 3 new cases of positive mosquitoes that have been missed by the ELISA-CSP. The apparent discrepancy between the two diagnostic methods on the positives samples may be due to the detection limit of ELISACSP. Actually ELISA-CSP has a detection limit of 250 sporozoites in 50 ml [35], while the detection limit for PCR in salivary glands was previously estimated at 10 sporozoites [13], this being lower 1081537 with the real-time PCR used in this study. The analysis of all Plasmodium positive samples of An. gambiae s.s. and An. funestus by real-time PCR revealed the presence of P. falciparum in all the samples. This is not surprising because P.Real-Time PCR Detection of Plasmodium in Mosquitofalciparum is the most prevalent malaria parasite in west and central Africa. The relative quantification applied to normalize the copy number of Plasmodium target detected to that of the amount of mosquito DNA showed that parasite densities could vary between individual mosquitoes but were on average similar between infected specimens of either An. gambiae or An. funestus. These findings confirm the trend that An. funestus is an important vector of malaria parasites in Benin [3]. Following the high specificity of real-time PCR technique demonstrated in target mixing experiments, the assay allowed us to 125-65-5 site identify other Plasmodium species alongside the dominant species Plasmodium falciparum. These species occurring mainly as minor populations in cases of coinfection. The rate of mixed infections of 18.6 and 13.6 in An. gambiae and An. funestus respectively appeared greater than what is described in human 
populations living in southern Benin. Actually the proportion of co-infection with P. ovale and P. malariae in humans was only estimated to 5 [8]. Though this difference is potentially due to the methods used in the two studies (microscopy and real-time PCR), a recent analyses of human specimen in Southern Benin with the same real-time PCR technique revealed less frequency of co-infections rate than what we observed in mosquitoes (Tuikue Ndam et al., Unpublished data). This suggests the existence of other factors, including the immunity that may affect the diversity of Plasmodium infection in humans and mosquito. Plasmodium vivax was detected by real-time PCR in none of the specimens studied. This was not surprising as this species is known to be very rare in west and central Africa.species in the mosquito hosts. Combined with efficient DNA extraction methods, the assay has demonstrated a good analytical sensitivity in detecting mixed infections with distinct malariacausing Plasmodium among the two main malaria vectors in Benin. The results suggest that the method described here is appropriate for the detection of malaria parasites in field-collected mosqu.S and poor specificity due to circulating antigens originating from the rupture of oocysts [15] or from other non-malaria antigens [29]. This phenomenon has been highlighted in other studies when testing the plasma fractions of pig and bovine blood in Thailand [30]. In Senegal, false positive results were also associated with bovine and/or sheep blood meals when testing An. gambiae s.l. for the presence of P. malariae and P. ovale [31]. In most studies where false positive ELISA results were reported in mosquitoes [31,32,33,34], only head and thoraces were used for ELISA assays hence excluding the possible contamination with oocyst-sporozoites present in the abdomen. In this study, the real-time PCR identified 3 new cases of positive mosquitoes that have been missed by the ELISA-CSP. The apparent discrepancy between the two diagnostic methods on the positives samples may be due to the detection limit of ELISACSP. Actually ELISA-CSP has a detection limit of 250 sporozoites in 50 ml [35], while the detection limit for PCR in salivary glands was previously estimated at 10 sporozoites [13], this being lower 1081537 with the real-time PCR used in this study. The analysis of all Plasmodium positive samples of An. gambiae s.s. and An. funestus by real-time PCR revealed the presence of P. falciparum in all the samples. This is not surprising because P.Real-Time PCR Detection of Plasmodium in Mosquitofalciparum is the most prevalent malaria parasite in west and central Africa. The relative quantification applied to normalize the copy number of Plasmodium target detected to that of the amount of mosquito DNA showed that parasite densities could vary between individual mosquitoes but were on average similar between infected specimens of either An. gambiae or An. funestus. These findings confirm the trend that An. funestus is an important vector of malaria parasites in Benin [3]. Following the high specificity of real-time PCR technique demonstrated in target mixing experiments, the assay allowed us to identify other Plasmodium species alongside the dominant species Plasmodium falciparum. These species occurring mainly as minor populations in cases of coinfection. The rate of mixed infections of 18.6 and 13.6 in An. gambiae and An. funestus respectively appeared greater than what is described in human populations living in southern Benin. Actually the proportion of co-infection with P. ovale and P. malariae in humans was only estimated to 5 [8]. Though this difference is potentially due to the methods used in the two studies (microscopy and real-time PCR), a recent analyses of human specimen in Southern Benin with the same real-time PCR technique revealed less frequency of co-infections rate than what we observed in mosquitoes (Tuikue Ndam et al., Unpublished data). This suggests the existence of other factors, including the immunity that may affect the diversity of Plasmodium infection in humans and mosquito. Plasmodium vivax was detected by real-time PCR in none of the specimens studied. This was not surprising as this species is known to be very rare in west and central Africa.species in the mosquito hosts. Combined with efficient DNA extraction methods, the assay has demonstrated a good analytical sensitivity in detecting mixed infections with distinct malariacausing Plasmodium among the two main malaria vectors in Benin. The results suggest that the method described here is appropriate for the detection of malaria parasites in field-collected mosqu.