Beluga Whales in the Canadian Western Arctic Found to Have Cat Parasite

Beluga Whales in the Canadian Western Arctic Found to Have Cat Parasite

Scientists from the University of British Columbia have concluded a study that shows the Beluga whale population in the arctic waters off British Columbia has been infected by the bacteria Toxoplasma gondii, typically contracted from cat feces. The bacteria usually causes mild flu-like symptoms in people, but can lead to blindness. For infants and people with compromised immune systems, the bacteria can be fatal.

For this reason, scientists are cautioning that Beluga whale flesh may prove lethal in areas that depend on the mammal as a source of food such as in Inuit communities. It is believed that global warming is contributing to the spread of the bacteria given that warner temperatures are introducing pathogens which would normally be checked by colder waters. A molecular parasitologist who works for the US National Institutes of Health explained that ice offers barriers to certain pathogens. However, global warming has reduced the amount of ice allowing the presence of pathogens previously uncommon to arctic waters.

As for how the bacteria got into the waters used by the beluga whales, it is believed they may have traveled in from currents further south. The report has raised safety concerns in a food source once considered natural and safe.

Source:
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/3480/20140215/deadly-cat-parasite-attacks-beluga-whales-humans-may-be-next-warn-scientists.htm