So I saw this on the news last month. Apparently feline toxoplasmosis has been found to be the cause of death of marine mammals off of Hawaii.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31882178/death-of-spinner-dolphin-from-parasite-found-in-cats-spurs-concern
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/30573555/noaa-parasite-common-in-cats-killed-monk-seal
I'm wondering if anyone has any data on marine mammals killed in other parts of the world by similar causes.
Hawaii has one of the most well managed albeit newer marine resources divisions, so either they found this early or other areas have misidentified or missed this. I'm wondering if anyone would know of any other marine mammal deaths that seem similar or with similar unknown causes.
The primary area of interest would be the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean due to the lack of exposure to domesticated felines pre-European contact, as well as a similar tropical climate.
>cats killing wildlife like the vermin they are
How is this news?
>>2141003
it has nothing to do with cats on the adjacent land mass.
the parasite is carried all over by sardines and others.
>>2141320
Got any sources? Both articles attribute it to inshore runoff containing toxoplasmosis.
>>2141399
>>2141399
it is coming from runoff, but it's also transported by fish. So the location of the infected mammals isn't necessarily indicative of the source of the infection.
though it doesn't really matter since the parasite is at least as common in people as it is in cats, and the presence of cats is not necessary for the cysts to find their way into the ocean. People are probably the main problem since cat droppings presumably don't find their way into sewage fields that often.
>>2141406
>and the presence of cats is not necessary for the cysts to find their way into the ocean.
cats are the only host of toxoplasmosis.
their presence is necessary to some degree, every toxoplasmosis cell in existence can be directly traced back to cats for that matter.
without cats, there's be no humans to spread it, because it wouldn't be there in the first place.
>>2141410
>cats are the only host of toxoplasmosis.
I just posted papers showing humans, oysters and fish all host the parasite and the thread itself is about marine mammals hosting the parasite.
>>2141417
> humans, oysters and fish all host the parasite and the thread itself
you're confusing definitive host with host.
toxoplasmosis can't reproduce without cats.
>>2141419
>toxoplasmosis can't reproduce without cats.
of course it can.
it just can't reproduce sexually without cats.
you seem pretty ignorant of this topic to be discussing it.
>>2141422
spreading isn't the same thing as reproducing.
you're too ill informed about parasites to be discussing this subject.
>>2141425
>spreading isn't the same thing as reproducing.
oh, they reproduce in your body.
I'm enjoying your thoughts on the thing though, very inventive.
how old are you, may I ask?
>>2141426
>they reproduce in your body.
no, they just clone themselves.
biologically speaking reproduction produces new organisms, while cloning just replicates those that already exist.
look at toxoplasmosis like a graft.
if you go back far enough you'll find a tree, if you go back far enough in toxoplasmosis you'll find a cat.
so they're still directly responsible for it.
cells that don't exist can't clone themselves.
cats are pestilence carriers, who fucking KNEW
unfortunately you can't solve the problem without the catfags going up in arms in defense of their overlords
>>2141434
>biologically speaking reproduction produces new organisms, while cloning just replicates those that already exist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexual_reproduction
the point is marine animals are being infected by human sewage, not cats. And indeed most of those humans were infected by other meat animals, not cats.
so cats aren't necessarily present where marine animals are infected, nor does marine infection even necessarily follow human occupation. Because it also infects fish near human habitation that then migrate all over the world.
either way the source of marine infections is human sewage from infected people. Most of whom didn't get it directly from cats.
>>2141302
It's not cats killing wildlife, you dumb ass. It's a parasite. This isn't surprising to me at all. Scientists have known toxoplasmosis isn't restricted to the feline species for years. It's found in rats, mice, birds, humans. So why not dolphins and other marine animals?
I seriously don't see why cats are getting such hate over this parasite. They are only a single host out of a wide range. If anything, we should be pissed off at the rats in our sewer systems.
They are probably the ones shitting these parasites out into our sewer water, where it gets flushed into the ocean.
It's only a matter of time before rats cause another plague, and then we'll see how long people continue hating cats.
>>2141567
>They are probably the ones shitting these parasites out into our sewer water, where it gets flushed into the ocean
Human infection ranges from ~50% to ~90%.
we don't need rats shitting out parasites to explain the prevalence of something over half of the human population carries.
>>2141566
it's sad that when someone mentions reproduction you think of asexual reproduction, I feel bad for your love-life.
again, cloning isn't technically reproduction.
>And indeed most of those humans were infected by other meat animals, not cats.
toxoplasmosis isn't on the list of longest living organisms.
it has to come from a cat at some point, outside of cats it can't reproduce, there would be no new organisms.
the biggest problem seems to be oocysts, which are the result of sexual reproduction.
and since it doesn't appear to be biologically immortal getting rid of cats should eventually get rid of it.
![toxoplasma_lifecycle_bam1[1].gif](https://i.imgur.com/2TwJ5bS.gif "toxoplasma_lifecycle_bam1[1].gif")
I feel this needs to be posted. The parasite needs a feline to complete it's life cycle.
>>2141670
>again, cloning isn't technically reproduction.
kek
what a maroon.
>it has to come from a cat at some point, outside of cats it can't reproduce, there would be no new organisms.
ok, then we agree that it clones itself billions of times in your body and other animals can be infected by those clones if they eat your or your shit?
Even if you're going to pretend asexual reproduction isn't reproduction because you're a stubborn and not particularly well educated autist?
>it doesn't appear to be biologically immortal getting rid of cats should eventually get rid of it.
eventually, yes.
you're not going to get rid of cats though so it doesn't matter in the slightest.
nor are cats infecting marine life.
if you want to save the marine mammals from toxoplasma you need to get rid of people. Which is about as likely to happen as getting rid of cats.
>>2141676
yes, it does not however need to complete its life cycle to infect you, me, pigs, otters, sardines, and pretty much anything else in the food chain.
in fact those incomplete life cycles can keep right on infecting new animals as long as the old one gets eaten.
>>2141688
>if you want to save the marine mammals from toxoplasma you need to get rid of people. Which is about as likely to happen as getting rid of cats.
Why is it so hard to filter them out of the water at sewage plants?
>>2141691
it's not technically difficult, just extremely expensive.
Most sewage plants in the US at least are moving towards biobased systems that are less harmful to the environment but also don't do much to stop the spread of parasites.
also it's worth noting that these new environmentally friendly systems are first embraced by the hipsters that live on the coast and happen to shit into the open mouths of most of our marine mammals.
>>2141693
The links say its cat feces leaching through aquifers, so I don't think sewage treatment is the problem here.
Then again the articles are only a month old, so maybe its to soon for jumping to conclusions.
>>2141699
>The links say its cat feces leaching through aquifers, so I don't think sewage treatment is the problem here.
I expect they'll revise that once a couple dozen scientists write in laughing at them.
Hawaii does have a different sort of hydrology, that's for sure. Not nearly enough cats or non-migratory marine mammals to show serious infection that route though.
>>2141688
> and other animals can be infected by those clones
a cat is still responsible for those clones.
an organism that doesn't exist can't clone itself.
>asexual reproduction isn't reproduction
reproduction is sexual reproduction in layman's terms, and sexual reproduction is also the only true form of reproduction.
again
>it's sad that when someone mentions reproduction you think of asexual reproduction
>>2141840
>asexual reproduction ISN'T reproduction!!!!!
>because I SAID SO!!!
it was really only funny the first time you said it. It gets a bit sad when you repeat it. It's like you're a moron or something and it makes me feel bad for you.
>>2141840
You seem really confused, asexually or not it is still reproduction, but the parasite would die off eventually without its definitive host.
>>2141984
>the parasite would die off eventually without its definitive host.
No, no it would not. Not in a billion years.
>>2141670
>asexual reproduction isn't reproduction
LMAO, you ignorant twat, educate yourself. Here, I'll even make it easy and give you just one example out of thousands.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/asexual-lizards/
Genetic diversity and everything, you little dipshit.
>>2141981
>Reproduction (or procreation, breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – "offspring" – are produced from their "parents".
back to school you go.
>>2141985
toxoplasmosis isn't on the list of longest living organisms.
that's presumably because it doesn't live long.
>>2141984
It would lose the ability to mate with other members of it's species, thus increasing genetic diversity, true. But it wouldn't die off, it would simply stick with asexual reproduction and continue infecting new hosts.
>>2141989
Reproduction
1
: the act or process of reproducing; specifically : the process by which plants and animals give rise to offspring and which fundamentally consists of the segregation of a portion of the parental body by a sexual or an asexual process and its subsequent growth and differentiation into a new individual
From Webster's Dictionary
>>2142057
>[citation needed]
Population structure in the wild
Khan et al.[47] reviewed evidence that despite the occurrence of a sexual phase in its life cycle, T. gondii has an unusual population structure dominated by three clonal lineages (Types I, II and III) that occur in North America and Europe. They estimated that a common ancestor founded these clonal lineages about 10,000 years ago. In a further and larger study (with 196 isolates from diverse sources including T. gondii found in the bald eagle, gray wolves, Arctic foxes and sea otters), Dubey et al.[48] also found that T. gondii strains infecting North American wildlife have limited genetic diversity with the occurrence of only a few major clonal types. They found that 85% of strains in North America were of one of three widespread genotypes (Types II, III and Type 12). Thus T. gondii has retained the capability for sex in North America over many generations, producing largely clonal populations, and matings have generated little genetic diversity.
>>2142082
I don't think you understand what indefinitely means.
if toxoplasmosis can clone itself indefinitely, why isn't it on the list of longest living organisms?
>>2142083
Because it's reproducing you tard.
>>2142089
>it's reproducing
yeah, it's procreating, breeding, so cats are directly responsible for it.
thanks for pointing that out.
>>2142091
Nope I mean asexual reproduction
>>2142096
if you really think the toxoplasmosis that's affecting these animals is 10,000 years old I feel bad for you.
but assuming it is, there's still a cat responsible for it, it's just dead and extinct by now.
>>2142098
I don't even know if your trolling or not.
>>2142099
I love how everyone piles on his factually incorrect ass.
a thoroughly enjoyable read.
>>2142102
Is it the angry Dutchman?
>>2142102
> factually incorrect
you're the one suggesting these animals are dying because of an immortal strain of toxoplasmosis.
it's truly hilarious.
we all know it's caused by cats.
>>2142105
It's a protozoan, a lot of those reproduce by meiosis. Do you think amoebas are immortal?
>>2142105
I haven't suggested anything since I stopped in to laugh at you several hours ago.
But in case you're not trolling, the reason certain jellyfish are considered biologically immortal is because they practice asexual reproduction. Just like our pal the parasite. Presumably the only reason toxoplasma isn't on your list of longest lived organisms is because you read popsci media rather than actual science so you don't realize pretty much any animal that clones itself is biologically immortal.
which is cute. I find stupid people very attractive. Stupid and feisty is even better. If you were a grill I'm sure we'd have dated by now.
>>2142105
>you're the one suggesting these animals are dying because of an immortal strain of toxoplasmosis
Also, to be fair,
anon wasn't suggesting it.
that was one Dr. Khan, presumably an expert on the subject and certainly more knowledgeable than any of us.
>>2142110
>the reason certain jellyfish are considered biologically immortal is because they practice asexual reproduction
it's because they're able to go back to the polyp state.
they still reproduce sexually.
> Just like our pal the parasite.
[citation needed]
all of this effort just because you're too biased to admit cats are killing poor marine mammals.
directly
adverb
1.
in a direct line, way, or manner; straight:
cats are directly responsible for it, toxoplasmosis would not have existed without cats.
>>2142110
>the reason certain jellyfish are considered biologically immortal is because they practice asexual reproduction.
No, that's not it. At all
>>2142120
>cats are directly responsible for it, toxoplasmosis would not have existed without cats.
Cats aren't directly responsible because the toxoplasmosis went through multiple intermediate hosts.
>>2142121
yes that's it for the most classic example T. dohrnii.
>>2142120
>in a direct line, way, or manner; straight
If I give my gf herpes and she gives it to the milkman and the milkman gives it to his wife and his wife gives it to the mailman and the mailman gives it to you,
did I give you herpes?
directly?
>>2142123
>in a direct line
those hosts formed a direct line, ultimately causing those poor little marine mammals to die.
why do you hate marine mammals anon?
>>2142126
it's actually a winding path with tons of dead ends. Removing any one of the intermediate hosts won't solve the problem, so it's pretty much the textbook definition of indirect.
not that it matters, since it's been established in science and itt that toxoplasma is found in lots of places cats aren't. Pretty much anywhere a sardine can swim.
>>2142126
>those hosts formed a direct line
if a line is formed it's indirect
>>2142125
if it sexually reproduced inside of you and therefore created a new herpes organism that organism is your sole responsibility, because it's not a clone, it's a new organism.
if it's a clone whatever started it is responsible.
in this case that's a cat.
>>2142124
>yes that's it for the most classic example T. dohrnii.
no, it's not.
>>2142132
so cats are responsible but toxoplasma is not?
I like the way you think. I'm going to go rob a bank and watch my landlord go to prison.
>>2142133
even if it's not, toxoplasma also reverts to its earlier states.
so by any measure the life cycle is the same.
>>2142135
I don't think toxoplasmosis is capable of responsibility.
cats might be to some degree.
>I like the way you think.
if a mental patient kills someone the people watching over that patient are usually blamed.
toxoplasmosis is the mental patient, cats are to blame.
>>2142137
so you're suggesting that, not only is toxoplasmosis immortal, it also wasn't born, it's always been there?
could it be that toxoplasmosis is god?
>>2142139
fair enough, but we don't actually hold cats responsible for anything they do.
If you want to bitch, complain about the owners since they're the only legally responsible parties.
though again, the vast majority of human infections aren't acquired from cats. So deciding who's really responsible is going to be messy. There's also the problem that infected people don't usually know they've got it.
you for example have a greater than 50% chance of carrying the thing too.
>>2142142
>toxoplasmosis
kek
Again, I didn't suggest any such thing.
Dr. Khan suggested it's biologically immortal.
are you smarter than Dr. Khan, anon?
>>2142143
>you for example have a greater than 50% chance of carrying the thing too.
don't worry I blast my brain with enough alcohol each weekend to kill it.
>>2142146
somehow I'm not surprised.
>>2142145
presumably, since he unraveled the ancient secret that toxoplasmosis literally is god and didn't share it with the world.
sharing is caring.
>>2142151
he published his findings in an accredited, peer-refereed journal of science for all the world to read.
it's not his fault you didn't read it.
>toxoplasmosis
do it again,
I laugh every time you type it
>>2142154
>it's not his fault you didn't read it.
yes it is, it's boring.
he should've made it more interesting, I can't help that he's a bad teacher.
>>2142155
what could possibly be more interesting than learning about your lord and savior, T. gondii?
shit anon, it's like you have no soul.
>>2142156
toxo-plas-mosis.
>>2142157
10/10
lol'd out loud
>>2142158
I accidently found this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4p6LOGQPX0
>>2142160
I think you found our new /an/them
So if toxoplasmosis is literally God...
Does that mean cat owners are the followers of the one true religion, as they care for God's vessels?
>>2142137
>even if it's not
it's not. no "even" required
>>2142180
well we've established that both organisms reproduce asexually, reproduce indefinitely, and revert to earlier life stages.
I'd love to hear what else you include in the definition other than "no because I said no."
>>2142189
bitch, if you're not going to bother reading the posts I reply to you just need to leave 4chan
>>2142203
Half of them were my posts.
so you've got nothing.
that's what I figured.
>>2142207
>>>>>>>the reason certain jellyfish are considered biologically immortal is because they practice asexual reproduction.
>>>>>>No, that's not it. At all
>>>>>yes that's it for the most classic example T. dohrnii.
>>>>no, it's not.
>>>even if it's not
>>it's not. no "even" required
>I'd love to hear what else you include in the definition other than "no because I said no."
you were wrong, shithead. toxi is immortal because it reproduces asexually. you said that was the case, it's not, it never will be.
>pigs are directly responsible for swine flu and I stopped eating pork and bacon for a week or two
>>2142209
>you said that was the case, it's not, it never will be.
are you saying it isn't immortal, or it doesn't reproduce asexually?
because jellyfish also aren't immortal, they just reproduce asexually.
