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Tackling Blood Parasites Helps Birds Survive Avian Malaria

Avian malaria is a mosquito-driven disease which is found in Africa, Asia and South America, but can travel north as birds migrate in the summer months. New research in the Journal of Zoologyexplores the role of blood parasites in damaging the immune systems of young birds, making them more susceptible to the disease.

The team analyzed the nesting of great tit Parus major in Latvian forests and used insect repellent inside nest boxes to prevent blood parasites. The team found that in the absence of parasites, nestlings had higher concentrations of haemoglobin and had greater rate of survival throughout the nestling and fledgling stages of life.

This study, the first demonstration of the impact of parasites on haemoglobin levels, reveals that the effects of blood parasites can be assessed without using anti-malaria drugs.