Why in news?
Scientists sampling the exhaled breath of whales with drones have detected cetacean morbillivirus circulating among humpback and sperm whales in the Arctic. This is the first evidence that the deadly virus, previously known from the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, is present in high‑latitude waters.
Background
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is a group of viruses that belong to the Paramyxoviridae family and infect marine mammals such as whales, dolphins and porpoises. First identified in the late 1980s after mass strandings of dolphins, morbilliviruses cause respiratory and neurological disease, suppress the immune system and can lead to large‑scale die‑offs. The viruses are shed through respiratory droplets and bodily fluids and spread by close contact.
Key points about CeMV
- CeMV viruses are enveloped, negative‑sense single‑stranded RNA viruses related to measles and canine distemper viruses.
- Outbreaks have been recorded worldwide, particularly in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, where thousands of dolphins and whales have died from pneumonia and encephalitis.
- There is no specific treatment or vaccine for CeMV; management involves supportive care and mitigation of other stressors such as pollution, noise and climate change.
- The discovery of CeMV in Arctic whales suggests the virus travels with migratory animals and underscores the need for long‑term monitoring of marine health as warming oceans open new migration routes.
Researchers also detected co‑infections with herpesviruses in some whales. They warn that climate change, which is expanding the range of marine species and altering food webs, could facilitate the spread of pathogens into previously isolated ecosystems.
Source: The Indian Express
