Molecular Systematics of malaria parasites

The common term, "malaria parasites," is controversial in its use. Malaria is a disease, not a parasite. Thus, it is not appropriate to write or speak of "malaria infecting a bird." So, the parasites should be referred to as "malaria parasites" just as we might refer to "the cold virus." But, malaria is a human disease, with characteristic symptoms. Infection causes pathology in other vertebrate hosts, but is it the same disease? Also, should the term be restricted to Plasmodium , and not to other genera in the family? We prefer that common names be based on monophyly, but the choice of a node on a phylogenetic tree to define any higher-level taxon (above species level) is subjective. We therefore call all genera in the family, the "malaria parasites," and include Leucocytozoon in this group. Leucocytozoon , though, could well be placed into a separate family because it is an outgroup to all the others studied to date.