Toxoplasmosis causes death of New Zealand pregnant Hector's dolphin: authorities

WELLINGTON, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Toxoplasmosis has been confirmed as the cause of death of a pregnant Hector's dolphin found dead on a beach in southern New Zealand last month, the Department of Conservation (DOC) said Tuesday. The female Hector's dolphin was found at Invercargill's Oreti Beach on Aug. 20. A necropsy confirmed the dolphin died from toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondi