Deforestation linked to rise in cases of emerging zoonotic malaria

A steep rise in human cases of P. knowlesi malaria in Malaysia is likely to be linked to deforestation and associated environmental changes, according to new research. Plasmodium knowlesi is a zoonotic malaria parasite, transmitted between hosts by mosquitoes, which is common in forest-dwelling macaque monkeys. Although only recently reported in humans, it is now the most common form of human malaria in many areas of Malaysia, and has been reported across southeast Asia.