Stranded dolphin killed by new virus By By Tim Sandle Jul 14, 2013 in Environment San Diego - Researchers have isolated a new virus which was associated with the death of a short-beaked dolphin found stranded on a beach in San Diego. The dolphin, a female calf, was found dead in October 2010, stranded on a beach in San Diego. The initial assessment was death from tracheal bronchitis with signs of an infection, which an electron microscope revealed to be of possible viral origin. The virus was identified as one belonging to the polyomavirus family ( What scientists now need to find answers to is whether the viral infection was unique to the particular dolphin, whether this is a new virus posing a threat to dolphins; or if many dolphins carry this virus without significant problems; or, finally, perhaps the virus is like the common cold to humans, where dolphins get sick for a short while and normally recover. The study into the cause of death of the dolphin was carried out by researchers based at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's The dolphin died a while ago but it has taken scientists some time to pinpoint what was responsible: the answer is unusual and a little worrying due to its lack of association with dolphins, according to Live Science The dolphin, a female calf, was found dead in October 2010, stranded on a beach in San Diego. The initial assessment was death from tracheal bronchitis with signs of an infection, which an electron microscope revealed to be of possible viral origin.The virus was identified as one belonging to the polyomavirus family ( Dolphin polyomavirus 1 , or DPyV-1). This is the first time that such a virus has been found in a dolphin. It is highly unusual because polyomavirus is known to cause disease in birds but it had not been thought to affect mammals (on land or at sea).What scientists now need to find answers to is whether the viral infection was unique to the particular dolphin, whether this is a new virus posing a threat to dolphins; or if many dolphins carry this virus without significant problems; or, finally, perhaps the virus is like the common cold to humans, where dolphins get sick for a short while and normally recover.The study into the cause of death of the dolphin was carried out by researchers based at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health . The study has been written up as a paper, published online in PLOS One, titled " Identification of a Novel Cetacean Polyomavirus from a Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) with Tracheobronchitis." More about Dolphin, Virus, Orca, stranded dolphin More news from Dolphin Virus Orca stranded dolphin