It is what is killing the Hawai'i Akikiki and why it found protections where mosquitoes don't breed.
Avian malaria in Hawai'i is caused by the protozoan parasite, Plasmodium relictum. In birds, this parasite infects peripheral red blood cells and internal tissue such as liver, spleen, bone marrow and brain cells. It was first introduced to Hawaii in exotic birds kept by settlers, but it was not until the introduction of the southern house mosquito (Culex quiquefasciatus) in 1826 that it could spread. Hawaii’s native birds succumbed quickly because they have no resistance to the disease.
