Researchers found an infectious parasite nicknamed "kitty litter disease" in Beluga whales; the parasite could impose danger on Inuit who eat the meat.
Toxoplasma gondii is often found in cats but can cause conditions such as infectious blindness in humans, a University of British Columbia news release reported.
The researchers also discovered a new strain of the parasite that killed 406 gray seals in the North Atlantic.
"Ice is a major eco-barrier for pathogens," Michael Grigg, a molecular parasitologist with the U.S. National Institutes of Health and an adjunct professor at UBC, said in the news release. "What we're seeing with the big thaw is the liberation of pathogens gaining access to vulnerable new hosts and wreaking havoc."
The parasite can harm fetuses and can even be fatal to those with compromised immune systems.
"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," Stephen Raverty, a veterinary pathologist with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands' Animal Health Centre and an adjunct professor at UBC said in the news release.
The Inuit process of cooking the meat should be enough to kill the parasite.
Animals such as "seals, walruses and polar bears " are being forced to choose alternative prey because of the loss of their sea ice habitat as a result of global warming. The ice sheet also acted as a barrier that kept pathogens separated between warmer and colder climates, as it disappears the pathogens become more mobile.
"Marine mammals can act as ecosystem sentinels because they respond to climate change through shifts in distribution, timing of their movements and feeding locations," Sue Moore, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in the news release. "These long-lived mammals also reflect changes to the ecosystem in their shifts in diet, body condition and physical health."
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