Cetacean morbillivirus

Cetacean morbillivirus Latest News

Recently, scientists used drones to find a dangerous Cetacean morbillivirus among whales in the Arctic.

About Cetacean morbillivirus

• Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) refers to a viral infection affecting marine mammals, particularly cetaceans.
• It belongs to the family ​Paramyxoviridae​, which affects  marine mammals such as dolphins, whales, and porpoises.
• Characteristics: These viruses are enveloped, negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses.
• History: Morbilliviruses were first identified in marine mammals in 1987.
• It has been responsible for numerous outbreaks across the world, especially in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
• Transmission:  It is highly infectious and spread by the respiratory route and direct contact. The virus is shed by infected animals in ocular and respiratory secretions, urine, feces, and sloughed skin.
• It impacts the respiratory and neurological systems of the marine mammals, and can lead to mass strandings and deaths.
• Treatment: There is no treatment for morbillivirus infections in marine mammals, only supportive care.

What are Cetaceans?

• The Cetacea are one of the most distinctive and highly specialized orders of mammals. 
• Cetaceans (order Cetacea) are aquatic mammals, including whales, dolphins, and porpoises. 
• Cetaceans are entirely carnivorous and are distributed in all of the world’s oceans.

Source: IE

‹ ›