People catch more sickness from

monkeys where forests are cut down

By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 01.06.16
Word Count 377

A worker marks timber logs at a concession area in the Miri interior of the eastern Malaysian Borneo state of Sarawak,
Dec. 11, 2007. Deforestation in Malaysian Borneo is believed to be a driver of malaria transmission in humans, according
to new research. Photo: AP/Vincent Thian

People are getting sick from malaria in a place called Malaysian Borneo. One kind of
malaria used to be found only in monkeys. Then it spread to humans. People with malaria
often feel like they have the u. Some patients can get very sick and even die.
Scientists say that people are getting malaria because trees are being cut down. Clearing
trees is changing the rain forest. The change might be making people sick.
Malaysian Borneo is part of a country called Malaysia. It is on the island of Borneo. The
island is in the Pacic Ocean. It has rain forests where trees grow close together. The rain
forest is warm and wet.

One Kind Of Malaria Happens More Now

Scientists noticed more of one kind of malaria on the island. It is usually found only in
monkeys called macaques. Mosquitoes bite the monkeys and then bite people. Malaria
spreads through the bites. Many people on the island have become sick.

Scientists wanted to know why malaria is spreading faster now. They thought the problem
might be a change in the rain forest.
Kimberly Fornace is a scientist. She says clearing trees in the rain forest puts macaques
too close to people.
Fornace studied people who were sick with malaria. She noticed where they lived. Then
she looked at where trees were cleared. Fornace found more malaria in places where
many trees had been cleared.

Monkeys Must Move As Forest Changes

Places with most of the forest still standing also had malaria, though. Scientists call this the
edge effect.
The rain forest where animals and plants live in Malaysian Borneo is changing. The trees
are being cut down. It happens fast.
Fornace says she thinks that malaria spreads at the edge of the rain forest. The edge is
where the rain forest ends and open land begins. The macaques are forced to move
because of the clearing. Sometimes they have to leave the forest to nd food.
There are people living at the edge of the rain forest. Mosquitoes bite the monkeys and
then bite the people.
Fornace says knowing this helps scientists. They can draw maps that show where people
might get sick. Fornace also says that people should plan to cut trees with more care.

Quiz
1

Read the paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3].

Scientists say that people are getting malaria because trees are being
cut down. Clearing trees is changing the rainforest. The change might
be making people sick.
Which words from the paragraph help explain the meaning of "clearing trees" in the
paragraph?

(A)

being cut down

(B)

are getting malaria

(C)

making people sick

(D)

changing the rainforest

Read the section "One Kind Of Malaria Happens More Now." What are "macaques"?
(A)

islands in the Pacic Ocean

(B)

bites that cause illness

(C)

a kind of monkey that lives in the rainforest

(D)

a type of rain forest tree being cut down

What is the purpose of the section "Monkeys Must Move As Forest Changes"?
(A)

to give details about how macaques live

(B)

to explain why the rainforest is being cut down

(C)

to give details about ways to stop the spread of malaria

(D)

to explain how cutting down the rainforest is spreading malaria

Which paragraph in the section "One Kind Of Malaria Happens More Now" gives information
about the way scientists studied malaria and the rainforest?

Answer Key
1

Read the paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3].

Scientists say that people are getting malaria because trees are being
cut down. Clearing trees is changing the rainforest. The change might
be making people sick.
Which words from the paragraph help explain the meaning of "clearing trees" in the
paragraph?

(A)

being cut down

(B)

are getting malaria

(C)

making people sick

(D)

changing the rainforest

Read the section "One Kind Of Malaria Happens More Now." What are "macaques"?
(A)

islands in the Pacic Ocean

(B)

bites that cause illness

(C)

a kind of monkey that lives in the rainforest

(D)

a type of rain forest tree being cut down

What is the purpose of the section "Monkeys Must Move As Forest Changes"?
(A)

to give details about how macaques live

(B)

to explain why the rainforest is being cut down

(C)

to give details about ways to stop the spread of malaria

(D)

to explain how cutting down the rainforest is spreading malaria

Which paragraph in the section "One Kind Of Malaria Happens More Now" gives information
about the way scientists studied malaria and the rainforest?
Paragraph 6:
Fornace studied people who were sick with malaria. She noticed where they
lived. Then she looked at where trees were cleared. Fornace found more malaria
in places where many trees had been cleared.