Scientists from the University of Hawaii at Manoa are sounding the alarm over the discovery of a novel virus that could trigger outbreaks among marine mammals.
A Fraser’s dolphin, a species of dolphin found in deep, tropical waters worldwide, became stranded off the coast of Maui in 2018, kicking off a two-year investigation led by researchers from the university’s Institute of Marine Biology into the cause of the animal’s death.
Biologists identified a previously unknown strain of cetacean morbillivirus in the animal, a virus related to human measles and smallpox that is responsible for fatal outbreaks of disease in dolphins and whales across the globe.
It’s the first strain of morbillivirus linked to Fraser’s dolphin. The discovery was detailed in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
“The 2018 stranding of the Fraser’s dolphin revealed that we have a novel and very divergent strain of morbillivirus here in Hawaiian waters that we were previously unaware of,” said Kristi West, associate researcher at the Institute of Marine Biology.
Detecting disease outbreaks among marine animals is a challenge. Researchers note that the university's Health and Stranding Lab, which performs necropsies and looks for signs of disease, recovers less than 5 percent of dolphins and whales that die in Hawaiian waters.
America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
“It’s also significant to us here in Hawaiʻi because we have many other species of dolphins and whales—about 20 species that call Hawaiʻi home—that may also be vulnerable to an outbreak from this virus,” West said.
West said the virus could be particularly threatening to endangered species such as the insular false killer whale, whose population is estimated to number less than 200.
Other dolphin and whale species in Hawaiian waters may have immunity to morbillivirus, but that can only be determined through antibody testing, which has yet to be sufficiently conducted.
Two previous novel morbillivirus strains resulted in unusual mortality events in dolphins in Australia and Brazil. Researchers said at least 50 dolphins died in Australia and more than 200 in Brazil.
READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA
VIDEO CATCHES TERRIFYING MOMENT A COLORADO HIKER WAS CHARGED BY ENORMOUS BULL MOOSE
WISCONSIN FAMILY CATCHES STRANGE, ‘SUPER RARE’ FISH IN FLORIDA WATERS
YELLOWSTONE TOURIST FACING FEDERAL CHARGES FOR GRIZZLY BEAR PHOTO
RARE ATTACK BY BLACK BEAR LEAVES 26-YEAR-OLD WOMAN DEAD
WAVES OF SHARKS SWIM INTO FLORIDA CANAL TO FLEE TOXIC RED TIDE
RESCUERS SAVE KILLER WHALE STRANDED ON ROCKS IN ALASKA
"virus" - Google News
August 12, 2021 at 10:30PM
https://ift.tt/3CLjSP6
Scientists fear new dolphin virus could spark mass marine outbreak | TheHill - The Hill
"virus" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2OagXru
No comments:
Post a Comment