As recently reported in Clinical Infectious Diseases, despite decreasing cases of human malaria- Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, significant increases in zoonotic malaria cases, Plasmodum knowlesi, were observed over several years.
Why?
A probable driver is increased deforestation for human land use, such as for palm oil plantations, placing human populations closer to zoonotic reservoirs and vectors. Transmission is then from macaques to humans, by way of the Anopeheles mosquito.
Beware the zoonotic ills of deforestation.
