Infectious Cat Parasite Found in Arctic Beluga Whales

As temperatures in the Arctic continue to warm, an unexpected migration of pathogens is taking place, the latest evidence of which is the report of an infectious form of cat parasite being found in western Arctic beluga whales.

The news was reported at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), underway this week in Chicago.

University of British Colombia scientists Michael Grigg and Stephen Raverty presented the findings, centered around the cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which causes what is colloquially referred to as "kitty litter disease." T. gondii is the leading cause of blindness in humans, and can be fatal to fetuses and to people and animals with compromised immune systems, the researchers report.

Finding T. gondii in beluga whales prompted the researchers to suggest a health advisory be put in effect, as the Inuit people living along the west coast of the Arctic region eat beluga whale meat.

"Belugas are not only an integral part of Inuit culture and folklore, but also a major staple of the traditional diet. Hunters and community members are very concerned about food safety and security," said Raverty, a veterinary pathologist.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Most people who get toxoplasmosis do not get sick, but some people will get swollen glands, muscle aches and feel as though they have the 'flu.'" The CDC also reports that T. gondii can harm fetuses inside pregnant women, leading to malformation of abortion.

In 2012 the same research team found a new strain of T. gondii that had spread to a previously sequestered area of the icy north, leading to the death of more than 400 gray seals.

"Ice is a major eco-barrier for pathogens," said Grigg, a molecular parasitologist with the US National Institutes of Health and an adjunct professor at UBC. "What we're seeing with the big thaw is the liberation of pathogens gaining access to vulnerable new hosts and wreaking havoc."