avian malaria

bird disease

Also known as: bird malaria

Written by

Kara Rogers

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

avian malaria, infectious disease of birds that is known particularly for its devastation of native bird populations on the Hawaiian Islands. It is similar to human malaria in that it is caused by single-celled protozoans of the genus Plasmodium and is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. (Haemoproteus protozoans are sometimes also considered to be causative agents of avian malaria.) However, whereas only Anopheles mosquitoes transmit the human disease, avian malaria is transmitted by...

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