India, July 2 -- The island of Hawai'i in the US may be facing a silent epidemic. Nearly every forest bird species in the region is capable of transmitting a deadly disease that has already led to extinctions. In a February study published in the journal Nature Communications, a team of US scientists analysed blood samples from more than 4,000 birds in Kaua'i, O'ahu, Maui and Hawai'i islands. In 63 of the 64 sites, they detected presence of avian malaria in birds. Avian malaria is a vector-borne disease, in which parasites enter birds' bloodstream through mosquito bites and damage red blood cells, causing anaemia and organ failure.

The study found that in some cases, birds had chronic avian malaria for months or years, transmitting the p...