ST. LOUIS, Feb. 20, 2006 (UPI) -- A parasite common in domestic and feral cat stools is reportedly impacting endangered sea otters.
One-in-six southern sea otters found dead along Californian beaches was killed by a brain disease caused by infection with Toxoplasma gondii, an organism found in cat droppings, the London Telegraph reported Monday.
Veterinarians say sea otters living in coastal areas near the mouths of rivers are nearly three times as likely have the T. gondii infection as compared with other otters.
The species was hunted to the brink of extinction during the 19th century and its recovery during the 1960s was threatened by off-shore fishing, the newspaper said.
Veterinarians reported on the parasite during a weekend meeting in St. Louis of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Copyright 2006 United Press International
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