Definition:
Avian malaria is a parasitic disease that affects birds.
Treatment:
There is no known treatment for avian malaria. However, the disease can be controlled by limiting mosquito population.
Symptoms and Signs:
Once the mosquito bites a bird, the Plasmodium relictum reproduces in the victim’s red blood cells, causing a dramatic loss in red blood cells and ultimately, anemia. The blood loss could cause weakness and result to death.
Causes:
Avian malaria is caused by the protist “Plasmodium relictum”, which is common in tropical regions like the Hawaiian Islands, usually devastating the local population of birds wherever it hits.
