Something dreadfully wrong has been happening to bottle nosed dolphins this summer, in the waters of the Atlantic ocean. Hundreds of dolphins mysteriously died and no one knew why.
Necropsies of the affected dolphins revealed that a measles like virus infected the pods and caused higher than normal dieoffs.
The virus, one of the Morbilliviruses that attacks the lungs and the brain, might very well be the culprit, according to the reserchers at NOOA.
Dolphins started to show signs of an epidemic in early summer when researchers noticed lesions in the mucosal linings and their skin of the affected dolphins.
Dolphins often die off inexplicably, but this year there was a surge, which sent scientists on the the hunt for the culprit.
Of the dolphins necropsied so far, all of them have tested positive for the morbillivirus.
Transmission in dolphins is very easy, since there is close relationship between the mother and the calf, and also with other members of the pod.
Previous suspected morbillivirus outbreaks occurred in '87-89 in the American northeast, and in the Gulf of Mexico in 1992 and 199
Three times more dolpins became stranded or died this year, due to the virus' suspected role, compared to normal year deaths.
Source : France 24/8.28.13
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