Measles virus may be the cause of dolphin deaths in the United States

A human virus like measles virus can cause hundreds of big-nose dolphins to die and drift ashore throughout the US East Coast.

>>>Dolphins die massively along the US coast

This is the latest hypothesis given by experts on August 27.

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), since the beginning of July, there have been 333 bodies of big nose dolphins washed ashore throughout the coast from New York to Carolina North.

This is the largest number of dead dolphins in the past 25 years and nearly 10 times the average of the same period of the last 5 years. However, NOAA said this number could increase further.

Study a dead dolphin.(Source: AP)

Through testing the samples taken from dolphins at all beaches, scientists identified a virus that could be the cause of this "massacre" phenomenon.

According to NOAA experts, the virus is similar to the human measles virus and the cough fever virus in dogs.

NOAA reports that 32 of the 33 samples tested positive or suspected of dying from the virus.

Accordingly, the virus attacks the immune system, lungs and brain of dolphins, causing the individual to become depleted and susceptible to other diseases including pneumonia leading to death. Some dolphins have lesions on the skin, mouth or lungs.

Although the virus can spread through the air or in direct contact between individuals, scientists identify the disease as not spread to humans. However, according to the study, there is temporarily no method to prevent the spread of the virus.

Measles virus outbreaks on each outbreak in the waters between the Atlantic Ocean caused more than 740 big-nose dolphins died between June 1987 and March 1988.

There are four dolphin communities living in the Atlantic Ocean with about 22,000 individuals living near the shore and nearly 82,000 other individuals living in deeper waters.