“Evidence continues to pile up,” writes Michael Hutchins, Executive Director and CEO of The Wildlife Society, in yesterday’s blog post, “that Toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by a parasite (Toxoplasma gondii) that lives in the guts of cats, may be responsible for serious human health problems.”
Hutchins was referring to a recent study in which researchers found “Infection [...]
Browsing the archives for the Toxoplasma category
28 Jul 11
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Posted in In the News, Toxoplasma
Tagged brain cancer, Kevin Lafferty, Michael Hutchins, Proofiness, T. gonddi, The Wildlife Society, Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasmosis, USGS
Tagged brain cancer, Kevin Lafferty, Michael Hutchins, Proofiness, T. gonddi, The Wildlife Society, Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasmosis, USGS
17 Jun 11
North American Opossum with winter coat. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Cody Pope.
A study published last month in the online open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases suggests a new twist in the relationship between free-roaming cats, Toxoplasma gondii, and toxoplasmosis infections in marine mammals.
“The most remarkable finding of our study,” notes co-author Dr. Michael [...]
17 May 11
Among the findings of a recent study:
Five of 18 cats trapped “between the spring and fall of 2008 and 2009” in central Illinois’ 1,500-acre Robert Allerton Park tested positive for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies. Five of the seropositive cats were trapped at the same site; there, one white-footed mouse (of 21 trapped) also tested positive, and [...]
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Posted in In the News, Research Protocol, Toxoplasma
Tagged congenital transmission, David Jessup, Melissa Miller, Michael Hutchins, Nohra Mateus-Pinilla, oocysts, Robert Allerton Park, Shannon Fredebaugh, T. gonddi, The Wildlife Society, Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasmosis, University of Illinois Prairie Research Institute
Tagged congenital transmission, David Jessup, Melissa Miller, Michael Hutchins, Nohra Mateus-Pinilla, oocysts, Robert Allerton Park, Shannon Fredebaugh, T. gonddi, The Wildlife Society, Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasmosis, University of Illinois Prairie Research Institute
22 Dec 10
Smithsonian magazine is, according to its website, “created for modern, well-rounded individuals with diverse interests” and “chronicles the arts, history, sciences and popular culture of the times.” Jess Righthand’s recent article, “The World’s Worst Invasive Mammals,” seems—despite its inclusion in the online edition’s “Science & Nature” section—better suited for the pop culture category.
Indeed, the story [...]
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Posted in In the News, Public Health Threats, Rabies, The Cat Debate, Toxoplasma
Tagged additive predation, American Bird Conservancy, compensatory predation, David Jessup, Feral Cats and Their Management, Jess Righthand, Merritt Clifton, Nico Dauphiné, One Billion Birds, Peter Marra, Smithsonian Magazine, The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation, Toxoplasma gondii, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Tagged additive predation, American Bird Conservancy, compensatory predation, David Jessup, Feral Cats and Their Management, Jess Righthand, Merritt Clifton, Nico Dauphiné, One Billion Birds, Peter Marra, Smithsonian Magazine, The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation, Toxoplasma gondii, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2 Dec 10
In my haste to get my previous post online, I neglected to address a critical point (later brought to my attention by a particularly helpful reader). So, a brief follow-up…
In “Feral Cats and Their Management,” the authors point out—correctly, in this case—that “most feral cats (62 percent to 80 percent) tested positive for toxoplasmosis.” [1] [...]
30 Jul 10
Until now, my posts have focused almost exclusively on wildlife impacts (real and otherwise) related to predation by cats, a topic I’ll be returning to soon enough. Over the past week or so, however, I’ve been researching the Toxoplasma gondii parasite (another subject that will keep me busy well into the future). As it turns [...]
28 May 10
A recent news item from Alley Cat Allies reports “a disturbing and increasing trend of feeding ban proposals as a way to ‘eradicate’ cats from their outdoor homes.” Among the reasons cited for opposing such bans:
Cats don’t magically disappear when you stop feeding them—there’s an abundance of garbage available (from households, restaurants, supermarkets, etc.) as [...]
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