Avian Malaria found in Galapagos Penguins
Yesterday, July 1st, the Galapagos National Park announced that the parasite causing avian malaria was found in several Galapagos penguins by researchers studying the presence and distribution of diseases in Galapagos birds.
Immediate follow-up studies are needed to document the prevalence (proportion of birds infected) of the parasite throughout the four-island distribution of the penguin, and to begin to estimate the impact of this parasite and consider approaches to disease control to prevent spread across the penguin population and transmission to other bird species.
The Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park are very concerned about these preliminary findings and they are actively working to immediately take action to learn more about the status of the parasite in the penguin population.
The Galapagos National Park will be posting a press release in the next hours.We will keep you informed as more information becomes available.
Source: Charles Darwin Foundation
May 17th, 2010 at 12:08 am
Hey there, I was just surfing the web and came across your blog. Thought I’d say thanks and tell you that I’ve enjoyed my visit here, hope you have a great evening !