DOLPHIN DIE-OFF â€" PERU: MORBILLIVIRUS SUSPECTED
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Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2012
Source: Herald Sun [edited]
<http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/hundreds-of-dolphins-washed-ashore/story-fn6s850w-1226334915264>
Mystery of mass dolphin deaths
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As many as 877 dead dolphins have washed up on the coast of northern
Peru in the past few weeks. An investigation was underway to
determine whether a viral infection by the marine morbillivirus was
the cause of the mass deaths, the country's Deputy Environment
Minister Gabriel Quijandria Acosta said yesterday.
The dead animals began to wash up over the past weeks on a
220-kilometre stretch of shore from Punta Aguja to Piura, around 700km
northwest of the capital Lima.
About 80 per cent of the dolphins were found in an advanced state of
decomposition, which made laboratory analysis more difficult, the
minister said. The results for the tests are expected next week.
Mr Quijandria Acosta added that massive viral diseases had already
been detected in [dolphins] in Peru, Mexico and the United States. He
ruled out commercial fishing, poisoning and the effects of earthquakes
as possible causes.
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Mr Quijandria Acosta said later that analyzes determined that these
marine mammals were not killed by shot or clubbed, nor poisoned with
pesticides or rat poison. They do not show any signs of having been
poisoned with biotoxins generated by concentrations of algae during
red tides. The studies also ruled out, although not 100%, disruption
in their internal organs from the blows of seismic waves generated
during oil and gas exploration at sea.
Photos of dead dolphins strewn on beach in Peru at:
<http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20120420/800_dolphins_120420.jpg>
- Mod.JW]
[Morbilliviruses have been reported as culprits of dolphin mortalities
in the past, such as those of endangered Mediterranean striped
dolphins (_Stenella coeruleoalba_) in 1990 and 1991, common dolphins
(_Delphinus delphis ponticus_) from the Black Sea in 1994, and
bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) in the Gulf of Mexico from
1987 through 1994.
Another pathogen that should be taken into account is _Brucella_, a
Gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacterium. In marine mammals,
brucellosis is an emerging infectious disease. From the 1990s onward,
previously unknown strains of _Brucella_ were detected in free-ranging
pinnipeds [seals & ses-lions] and cetaceans [whales, porpoises &
dolphins] from around the world. Brucellae isolated from cetaceans
constitute 2 species with different preferred hosts, i.e. _B.
phocoenae_ in porpoises and _B. delphini_ in dolphins. Pathogenic
findings associated with brucellosis in cetaceans include placentitis,
orchitis [inflammation of the testicles], abortion, mastitis
[inflammation of the mammary glands], pneumonia, subcutaneous lesions,
arthritis, nonsuppurative meningo-encephalitis and encephalitis.
Brucella-induced neurologic disorders may lead to strandings.
Hopefully the test results soon to be reported will shed light on this
episode.
The interactive HealthMap/ProMED map of the affected area is available
at: <http://healthmap.org/r/2fMi>. Mod.PMB]
[see also:
Die-off, seal, dolphin - USA: New England, update 20120209.1037523
2011
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Undiagnosed dolphin die-off - USA: (MS, AL) 20111202.3510
2010
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Dolphin die-off - USA: (southern coast) 20100609.1929
2009
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Cetacean morbillivirus, dolphins - Black Sea: susp, RFI 20090831.3066
Dolphin mortality - India 20090401.1250
2008
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Dolphin die-off - USA: (TX) 20080305.0913]
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