Toxo and Marine Mammals — Toxoplasmosis and At-large Cat Technical Working Group

The Impact of Toxoplasmosis on Monk Seals

As in other animals, monk seals exposed to T. gondii may not always develop disease symptoms (i.e., “toxoplasmosis”). However, a toxoplasmosis infection in monk seals can be deadly. The first T. gondii infection in a Hawaiian monk seal was observed in 2004. To date, T. gondii has been found in direct association with diseased tissues (e.g., heart and brain) in at least eight dead seals, indicating that this parasite caused or was a significant contributing factor in their deaths. Infections in seals can cause death by causing inflammation and dysfunction in multiple organs, including the heart, liver and brain. Seals that acquire infections and survive may suffer from a compromised immune system and/or brain function. These seals are therefore less likely to withstand other threats to their survival.

The Impact of Toxoplasmosis on Monk Seals

Toxoplasmosis in Cetaceans in Hawaii

Worldwide Examples of Toxoplasma and Marine Mammals