The hitchhiker's guide to avian malaria
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Rapid Diagnosis of Avian Influenza Virus in Wild Birds: Use of a Portable rRT-PCR and Freeze-dried Reagents in the Field
Published on: August 2, 2011
Matthew J Wood1, Catherine L Cosgrove
1Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK. matt.wood@zoo.ox.ac.uk
Abstract:
The ecological mechanisms underlying the dispersal of parasites are poorly understood, which is of particular concern in view of currently emerging infectious diseases. In a new study, Pérez-Tris and Bensch examined the distribution and prevalence of avian malaria in a migratory bird across Western Europe. They concluded that repeated independent evolution of year-round transmission has enabled some avian malaria lineages to become more widespread, and more prevalent, than lineages that are transmitted only during the summer. This study blurs the boundaries of evolutionary ecology, epidemiology and macroecology with great potential for cross-disciplinary research.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Malaria
Symbiosis
Diversity of Protists II
Arboviral Encephalitis

