Circulation of a novel strain of dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) in the Mediterranean Sea

In August-October 2016, seven striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded on the Sicilian coastline (Italy) tested positive for Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV). Results showed that these DMV sequences were almost identical to the ones observed in cetaceans stranded on the Spanish Mediterranean. This study suggests that the observed DMV strain is circulating in the Mediterranean.

Mira, F., Rubio-Guerri, C., Purpari, G., Puleio, R., Caracappa, G., Gucciardi, F., … & Guercio, A. (2019). Circulation of a novel strain of dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) in stranded cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-9.