London, March 11 (IANS): Malaria infections might be brought under control by managing the eating habits of infected people or animals, as a new study suggests that meal times are an important driver in enabling the disease to thrive.

According to the study, tests in infected mice found that malaria parasites in the blood timed their daily multiplication rhythms to match when the animals were fed.

When the mice's mealtime changed, the parasites altered the timing of when they invaded red blood cells, researchers said.

"We were surprised by how strongly malaria infection responded to changes in the eating times of the mice they were infecting. This offers a new avenue for research," said lead author of the study, Kimberley Prior from the University of Edinburgh.

"If we can disrupt the link, it could reduce both the impact and the spread of malaria infection," Prior added.

The study, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, showed that the parasites' rhythms were linked to daily changes in blood sugar levels in the mice.

Interfering with the biological pathways that link eating to parasite rhythms -- perhaps through diet, or drugs that manipulate the process -- could reduce both the severity and spread of malaria infection, the researchers said.

The researchers also studied the timing of parasite rhythms -- in multiplication and red blood cell invasion -- in groups of malaria-infected mice.

Changing the feeding times of the animals, by allowing them to eat during the day instead of at night, altered the timing of parasite multiplication from night to day, in line with the mealtime of the mice.