New York: Malaria, a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through mosquitoe bites, started out as a parasite in birds, and then it evolved to colonise bats, and from there it has evolved to affect other mammals, reveals a new study.

Malaria affects close to 500 million people every year, but we're not the only ones--different species of malaria parasite can infect birds, bats and other mammals too, the study pointed out.