Bottlenose dolphin deaths linked to measles-like virus and bacterial infection

Experts believe that they have uncovered the reason behind the strandings of at least 333 dead or dying dolphins along the U.S. East Coast since the beginning of July.

After testing over two dozen of the beached dolphins, from all five states where they have been found, scientists are saying that cetacean morbillivirus is responsible. This morbillivirus, which is related to measles in people, canine distemper in dogs and rinderpest in cattle, is highly infectious between dolphins, spreading by direct contact with those infected or through inhaling respiratory particles. The virus causes skin lesions, pneumonia and brain infections, and it compromises the immune system making the dolphins vulnerable to secondary infections. The virus is not dangerous to humans, although due to the possibility of secondary infections, people are cautioned against approaching beached dolphins, and are advised to keep their pets away from them as well.

A second illness, which may be responsible for some of the dolphin deaths along the Virginia coast, is Brucella bacterial infections. Four of the beached dolphins were found to be infected with Brucella, which causes skin, bone and brain infections, and can cause pneumonia as well. This bacteria can be transmitted to humans from animals, and it causes brucellosis, also known as undulant fever.

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Unfortunately, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is no way to contain this outbreak, as there is no vaccine or medication that can be administered to the wild dolphin population in a way that would be effective. As this is the time when dolphins begin a yearly migration south, they also expect the virus to spread south along with them, and the outbreak could last into 2014.

(Photo courtesy: Reuters/James Sullivan/The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation )

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