Public health warning as cat parasite spreads to Arctic beluga whales [View all]
Source: Guardian
A dangerous parasite spread by domestic cats has been found in beluga whales in the Arctic.
The discovery of Toxoplasma gondii in the marine mammals has led researchers to issue a public health warning to Inuit populations who eat beluga whalemeat in dried strips and stews.
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Prof Michael Grigg at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver said tests on hundreds of beluga whales in the Beaufort Sea, on the edge of the Arctic, revealed that 14% of the creatures harboured the infection. The tests are the first to show the infection has reached the region.
"This is now emerging in the Arctic and there's not much we can do about that. This is the new normal," said Grigg. The infected whales did not appear ill, but Grigg said that his team might not be finding animals made sick by the infection.
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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/feb/14/cat-parasite-beluga-whales-arctic-toxoplasma
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