Presence of Plasmodium detected in Galapagos penguins

Press Release
Puerto Ayora, Galapagos – July 3, 2008

Scientists from the Galapagos National Park’s Fabricio Valverde Laboratory, the Charles Darwin Foundation, University of Missouri, St. Louis Zoo, led by Dr. Patricia Parker, detected the presence of Plasmodium in various Galapagos penguins while researching illnesses affecting avian species on Galapagos.
Plasmodium – a blood-borne parasite that can cause avian malaria – affects birds, mammals and reptiles.  There are various forms of Plasmodium. Some can cause serious problems on a global scale but others are less harmful depending on the health of the individual animal affected.
It is not known which type of Plasmodium is present in the penguins tested because it is necessary to do a larger sampling.  For this reason a follow-up research expedition is planned to test a greater number of individuals and to identify the parasite, determine the mosquito responsible for its transmission, and evaluate the presence in other bird species.
Plasmodium that affects birds is not contagious to humans and therefore cannot be transmitted to humans.
All the samples that will be collected on the monitoring trip (about penguins, mosquitos and other birds) will be analyzed in the Fabricio Valverde Laboratory of the Galapagos National Park, which has the specialized equipment and infrastructure for the research effort.
Each year the Galapagos National Park, with assistance from the Charles Darwin Foundation, does a census of penguins in the archipelago; the results of last years have indicated a stable populations of the species.