Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust conservation science adviser Dr Trudi Webster, of Dunedin, brought that message to the Oamaru Penguin Symposium at the Oamaru Opera House last week.
Dr Webster this year
collated data from sources across the yellow-eyed penguin's South Island range in an attempt to understand the disease that had, until this year, largely been undetected as a threat to the rare seabirds.
In other areas, such as Hawaii, the disease had been ``a major factor in serious declines in numerous native bird species'' she told the symposium.
Of the world's 18 penguin species, 14 were known to be affected by the disease.
After being found in New Zealand in the 1940s, the first suspected yellow-eyed penguin death due to avian malaria was recorded in New Zealand in 2001.
Then this year, there were 30 confirmed cases of avian malaria, 27 of which were confirmed as the cause of death. Only one bird with the disease survived while in rehabilitation.
Symptoms were ``fairly non-specific'' and difficult to diagnose, but included lethargy and loss of appetite. Diagnosis often followed death.
``We need an action plan for the future - this really needs to be proactive rather than reactive, which we had this year,'' Dr Webster said. ``Obviously we didn't know this was coming.''
Avian malaria typically affected the birds in summer, and as with human malaria, avian malaria was spread by mosquitoes.
Work was required on the reduction and removal of mosquito vectors, as was an attempt at making an early diagnosis. No vaccines are available.
Stressed birds - for example during the moult or during interactions with humans - were most susceptible.
Climate change was among the six risks she identified, because wet winters and warm springs and summers would influence mosquito breeding.
Yet while using mosquito netting and removing standing water were more easily controlled in rehabilitation situations, there were challenges in the wild where 20 birds were known to have contracted the disease this year.
Only 250 breeding pairs of yellow-eyed penguins live on mainland New Zealand.
