The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last Tuesday the recent outbreak of bottlenose dolphin deaths from North Carolina to New Jersey is being caused by a measles-like virus in the marine mammals.

Tentatively, the Unusual Mortality Event is being attributed to cetacean morbillivirus, based on preliminary diagnostic testing and discussion with disease experts, a NOAA news release said.

NOAA said 27 dolphins tested as suspect or confirmed positive for morbillivirus, with five dolphins have been confirmed as cetacean morbillivirus via genetic sequencing.

More than 40 dolphins have been found on the North Carolina coast since July 1, including over two dozen on the Outer Banks between Carova Beach and Avon in the past week alone.

“As a matter of procedure when an event like this happens our goal is to rule things out,” said Marjorie Mooney-Seus, Public Affairs Officer with the NOAA.

 Seus said that a number of things cause dolphins or other marine mammals to strand including ship strikes, interactions with fishing gear or other human activities, starvation due to inability to find prey, disease due to the spread of pathogens or bacterial infections, and exposure to bio-toxins such as red tide (red algae).

These factors may compromise animals’ immune systems making it difficult for them to fight of diseases like morbillivirus that is present in the population but can become more widespread when the animals’ immune systems are weakened.

The NOAA will be investigating the spread of the disease especially as dolphins migrate south, which they do more frequently into the fall and winter.

Seuss mentioned there had been more deaths in affected states since a NOAA press conference last Tuesday. There is no new info yet on other potential factorswhich may be at play in the spread of this virus.

The Dolphins Death Numbers are Below: