In the name of science, there are actually people who willingly offer up their bodies for malaria infected mosquitoes to snack on. The volunteers are exposed to the tropical killer for a nominal payment in a bid to further vaccine development. The bites are induced in experimental conditions and the study of their reactions can take months. For all the obvious reasons, those with physical or psychological problems are automatically disqualified from the selection process. The majority of the trials take place in either Africa, America or Europe but scientists say the reasons for taking part are universal. Sometimes it's idealistic students or humanitarians who step-up. They're keen to play a part in the battle against malaria, which causes more than 600,000 deaths world-wide each year. Another motivation is the less altruistic possibility of developing personal immunity to the deadly disease, which is exactly what happens in a high number of cases.
