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Toxoplasma gondii discovered in Arctic whale
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A research team from the University of British Columbia discovered for the first time an infectious form of Toxoplasma gondii in western Arctic Beluga, which may have serious public health consequences for indigenous hunters and consumers of Beluga whale meat. They also identified a new species of Sarcocystis parasites, which until recently had been held at bay by Arctic ice.
The researchers, who presented their findings at the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2014 Annual Meeting in Chicago, said the “big thaw” as a result of climate change has allowed these pathogens to spread from the Arctic to lower latitudes.
“Ice is a major eco-barrier for pathogens,” Michael Grigg, PhD, a molecular parasitologist with the NIH and adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), said in a press release. “What we’re seeing with the big thaw is the liberation of pathogens gaining access to vulnerable new hosts and wreaking havoc.”
According to the researchers, toxoplasmosis is the leading cause of infectious blindness in humans and is potentially fatal to fetuses and immunocompromised individuals. Members of the research team, led by Stephen Raverty, PhD, with UBC’s Marine Mammal Research Unit, have been working with the Inuit community for the past 14 years to test samples of hunter-harvested Beluga.
“Belugas are not only an integral part of Inuit culture and folklore, but also a major staple of the traditional diet,” Raverty said. “Hunters and community members are very concerned about food safety and security.”
The new strain of Sarcocytis, christened Sarcocytis pinnipedi at the meeting on Friday, was responsible for killing more than 400 grey seals in the north Atlantic in 2012. Although humans are unaffected by the parasite, S. pinnipedi has now killed a number of other animals, including an endangered Steller sea lion, Hawaiian monk seals, walruses and polar and grizzly bears from Alaska to British Columbia.
For more information:
Grigg M. “The Big Thaw: Impacts on Health of Marine Mammals and Indigenous People in the Arctic.”
Presented at: the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting; Feb. 13-17, 2014; Chicago.