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Context:
Scientists have, for the first time, detected cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) in Arctic waters, using drones to collect whale breath (blow) samples. This marks a major advance in non-invasive wildlife disease surveillance and signals changing disease dynamics in polar ecosystems.
About Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV)
What it is
- A highly infectious viral disease affecting marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, porpoises, and pilot whales.
- Belongs to the morbillivirus group, closely related to measles (humans) and canine distemper (dogs).
Where it is found
- Earlier reported in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, and Pacific Ocean.
- New detection in Arctic waters, particularly among humpback and sperm whales, indicates a geographical expansion of the virus.
Origin
- First identified in 1987.
- Believed to have evolved from terrestrial morbilliviruses and later adapted to marine mammals.
- Spreads mainly through close contact and respiratory droplets.
