Plasmodium blood parasite found in endangered Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus)

This is the first report of a Plasmodium blood parasite found in the Galapagos Archipelago. Phylogenetic analyses place this parasite, recovered from endangered Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus), within the genus Plasmodium, and suggest a close relationship to some of the most dangerous lineages of Plasmodium that have been known to cause severe mortality and morbidity in captive penguin populations. Infectious disease is an increasingly important cause of global species extinctions, and extinctions due to avian pox and avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) have been well documented in Hawaiian avifauna. Plasmodium blood parasites had not been detected in Galapagos birds until now, despite previous microscopic and molecular screening of many of the species, including the Galapagos penguin. While penguin populations now appear healthy, it is unclear whether this parasite will have an obvious impact on their survival and reproduction, particularly during El Niño events, which cause stress due to reduced food availability. It is possible that this parasite arrived with or shortly after the recent arrival of an introduced mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, known elsewhere as a competent vector of Plasmodium blood parasites.