Avian malaria in wild birds within a tropical dry forest area in Guatemala

Urbanization is widely recognized as a driver of increased pathogen transmission, primarily through landscape modification and heightened contact rates between hosts and vectors, which can elevate parasite prevalence and virulence. In this survey, we investigated the prevalence and parasitemia rates of avian malaria in urban and rural areas within a tropical dry forest region of eastern Guatemala—an area undergoing substantial transformation from natural landscapes to urbanized environments. Using a combination of microscopy and PCR-based techniques, we diagnosed and quantified malaria parasites in 181 blood samples collected from 33 wild bird species. Our findings revealed a moderate overall prevalence of avian malaria (38%), with Plasmodium spp. being the most prevalent, followed by Haemoproteus spp. Notably, no Leucocytozoon infections were detected in the sampled populations.