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Tsunami-driven spread of Toxoplasma gondii and other microbial pathogens: Implications for cetacean health and conservation
Summary
This review discusses how micro- and nanoplastics can serve as vectors for Toxoplasma gondii and other fecally transmitted pathogens in marine ecosystems, and argues that tsunamis and other extreme weather events may significantly amplify the offshore spread of these pathogens to cetacean populations.
The present article provides a brief overview on the putative role of micro-nanoplastics as carriers of Toxoplasma gondii and other microbial pathogens intomarine and oceanic ecosystems. Within such context, extreme meteo-climatological events like tsunamis could behave as significant amplifiers of the aforementionedphenomena, with subsequent exposure of "offshore" susceptible cetacean species and populations to T. gondii as well as to a number of additional, oro-fecally transmitted protozoan and non-protozoan microbial pathogens.
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