Global warming, shifting ecozones and changing the climatology of large reasons, is expected to, and has already shown the ability to, affect distribution and incidence of various diseases. The brain-eating Ameba comes to mind. As it were. There is some new research by Michael Grigg of the NIH that addresses a different change.<\/p>\n
Along with melting Arctic ice comes an erosion of natural barriers that once separated parasites from hosts.<\/p>\n
That erosion has allowed at least two pathogens to infect marine mammals they were previously unknown in…<\/p>\n
A newly identified parasite was once frozen safely away from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus<\/em>). It has now infected some with disastrous consequences. In 2012, about 20 percent of healthy-looking grey seal pups born on Hay Island in Hudson Bay mysteriously died. The cause turned out to be a parasite that destroyed the livers of 404 pups and two adults, Grigg said.<\/p>\n
Grigg and his colleagues found that the parasite… also infects about 80 percent of ringed seals (Pusa hispida<\/em>) but doesn\u2019t make them sick. The parasite, … Sarcocystis pinnipedi<\/em>, invades cells and can cause inflammation that damages tissues…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The research was presented at the recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and is reported here<\/a>, though it may be behind a paywall.<\/p>\n
There are other examples. Beluga whales north of Alaska have been infected by Toxoplasma<\/em>, previously unknown in the region.<\/p>\n
\nPhoto Credit: brydeb<\/a> via Compfight<\/a> cc<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Global warming, shifting ecozones and changing the climatology of large reasons, is expected to, and has already shown the ability to, affect distribution and incidence of various diseases. The brain-eating Ameba comes to mind. As it were. There is some new research by Michael Grigg of the NIH that addresses a different change. Along with … Continue reading Global Warming and Disease: Marine Mammal Parasites<\/span>