Researchers discover infected birds in Alaska, say global
warming will send disease farther north
Malaria has been found in birds in parts of Alaska, and
global climate change will drive it even farther north, according to a new
study published today in the journal PLoS ONE.
The spread could prove devastating to arctic bird species
that have never encountered the disease and thus have no resistance to it, said
San Francisco State University Associate Professor of Biology Ravinder Sehgal,
one of the study's co-authors. It may also help scientists understand the
effects of climate change on the spread of human malaria, which is caused by a
similar parasite.
journal link (open access): PLos ONE >>