Cetacean Morbillivirus Found in the Arctic for the First Time
Why in the news
Researchers found cetacean morbillivirus in the Arctic for the first time. They gathered whale breath droplets with drones, showing a harmless way to watch wildlife disease and hinting at shifting disease patterns in polar seas.
Key facts
- Detection method: drones collecting whale blow (breath) samples, a non-invasive technique.
- New region: Arctic waters, notably among humpback and sperm whales.
- Earlier reports came from the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
About CeMV
- A highly infectious viral disease of marine mammals: whales, dolphins, porpoises and pilot whales.
- Part of the morbillivirus group, close relatives being human measles and dog distemper.
- First identified in 1987.
- Thought to have evolved from land-based morbilliviruses before adapting to marine mammals.
- Passes on through close contact and respiratory droplets.
Significance
- The Arctic finding points to a wider geographic range for the virus.
- Drone sampling opens a gentler route for disease monitoring in wildlife.
Exam angle
- Year of first identification: 1987.
- Related viruses: measles and canine distemper.
- Method of sampling: drones for whale blow.