Researches said 40 bottlenose dolphins have been killed by a measles-like virus in Italian Waters.
Earlier, around 40 bottlenose dolphins washed up dead on the shores of Italy. This led to an investigation to find the causes of the death of marine animals.
Upon investigating the cause of their deaths, experts at the University of Siena said the dolphins were killed by the cetacean mobillivirus.
The CEMV or the Cetacean morbillivirus is a highly infectious virus that is responsible for mass deaths amongst dolphins, whales, and porpoises.
CEMV was first detected in the Netherlands, Ireland, and England from 1988 to 1990.
After that, CEMV has been seen causing deaths in the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the North Sea, and North Atlantic Ocean.
CEMV causes organ damage and brain damage while infecting their immune system. This leaves marine animals very vulnerable to infections such as pneumonia.
The CEMV makes dolphins lose weight and cause brain and organ damage.
In a statement that was released by Federica Fratoni, an environment commissioner for the Tuscany region said, “We are powerless in the face of this virus.”
Federica added, “But we could do a lot about another problem highlighted by the analysis of tissues and organs taken during the autopsies. Note the high levels of DDTs and PCBs, old generation polychlorinated biphenyls also used as insecticides and still present in the Mediterranean Sea.”
Federica Continued, “These products can have an immunosuppressive effect and therefore may have contributed to the spread of the disease and its effects.”
This is not the first time CEMV has caused mass killings.
In 2013, CEMV killed nearly 800 dolphins and 4 whales on the East Coast of the US.
In 1987, 740 dolphins were killed by the virus.