Table 2.

Summary Points and Considerations for the Use of Human Blood Feeding and Arthropod Exposure in Vector Biology Research

Summary points
• Direct and indirect feeding on human volunteers is and remains an important tool in vector-borne disease research.
• Several types of studies are important for VBR.
• Until recently there were no clear recommendations to guide researchers in the use of human participants as bloodmeal sources, host “attractants,” or antivector molecule recipients in VBR.
• Here we explain why there is no viable substitute for human volunteers in some areas of research, including the value of this approach to study the fitness contribution of nutrients in blood, biting behavior and pathogen transmission, as well as benefit to investigations of human host attraction or agents that repel, and antivector or parasite therapeutic drug studies.

VBR, vector biology research.