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Deadly marine mammal virus is more widespread than expected

beaked whale circovirus maui
Joeseph E. Fader
/
NOAA Fisheries
The setting sun highlights the puffy blows characteristic of Longman's beaked whale. The beaked whale circovirus was first identified in a Longman's beaked whale stranded on Maui in 2010.

Scientists are currently looking into a deadly virus found in whales and dolphins across the Pacific Ocean.

The beaked whale circovirus has been identified in 11 different species — derived from samples of stranded marine mammals mostly found in Hawaiʻi.

The Longman's beaked whale, or Indopacetus pacificus, is up to 21.3 feet long and can be found across the Pacific Islands.
Jack Hornady
/
NOAA
The Longman's beaked whale, or Indopacetus pacificus, is up to 21.3 feet long and can be found across the Pacific Islands.

"One thing that's common with circovirus is they often are present with coinfections, so they can cause immunosuppression and we often see in other species more than one pathogen at work when circoviruses is there," said University of Hawaiʻi Health and Stranding Lab Director Kristi West.

The virus was first identified more than two years ago from a Longman's beaked whale stranded on Maui in 2010.

Since then, researchers combed through two decades of samples extracted from stranded marine mammals. They found that about half of the animals were infected.

Although most of the infected samples came from animals stranded on the Hawaiian Islands, circovirus was also detected in whales and dolphins found in Saipan and American Sāmoa.

"Half of the animals that were screened had the presence of the virus, but they were sick in the first place. But to think it really points to the need now to do more work to determine the clinical significance of that and how bad this virus may or may not be for these whales and dolphins," West said.

Officials say research on the beaked whale circovirus relies on public reporting. If you see a stranded marine mammal on the beach, call the NOAA hotline at 888-256-9846, and take photos of the animal until first responders arrive.

Zoe Dym was a news producer at Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
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