Beware of cuddly creatures.

That's what scientists warn the public when they found out tuberculosis likely came from "pinnipeds" like seals and sea lions.

Anne Stone from Arizona State University explained that what they found was really surprising.

The ancient tuberculosis strain is distinct from any known human-adapted tuberculosis strain, she said.

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Genomes from Peru about 1,000 years ago provide unequivocal evidence that a tuberculosis strain caused outbreaks in South America before the Europeans came.

Johannes Kraus from the University of Tuebingen said the connection of seals and sea lions explains how mammalian-adapted pathogens that evolved in Africa around 6,000 years ago could reach Peru 5,000 years later.

When they conducted the study, they found unequivocal evidence of human infection caused by these adorable creatures in pre-Columbian South America.

Scientists believe these marine animals likely contracted the disease from an African host species and carried it across the ocean to coastal peoples in South America.

According to researchers, Africa has the most diverse tuberculosis strain, which shows Africa might be the origin of tuberculosis.

Stone explained that when the more virulent European tuberculosis strain came, it quickly replaced the pinniped strain.

Kelly Harkins, one of the researchers, explained that it was a total shock for them to find out that tuberculosis, which was formerly believed to have spread around the world with ancient human migration, is in fact a relatively young disease.

Kristen Bos, another researcher involved in the study, said future research should concentrate on determining the relationship of older forms of tuberculosis with current ones.

Stone admitted there's still a need for understanding the speed and process of adaptation of tuberculosis as it changes in its hosts.

She believes this could answer how other transmitted diseases like MERS, SARS and HIV spread among the populace.