Beaked Whale Circovirus

By: ChloeMolou, UHHSeawordsLiason

The first marine mammal circovirus has been identified in a study conducted by the University of Hawai?i Health and Stranding Lab, as published in Frontiersin Marine Sciencein January of this year. Beaked whale circovirus (BWCV) had only been found in one marine mammal prior, a stranded Longman?s beaked whale (Indopacetuspacificus) on Maui in 2010.

This novel circovirus poses a potentially fatal threat to whales and dolphins, especially in the Pacific region, as has been revealed in the recent study. Circoviruses are DNA viruses that infect and can potentially be fatal to dogs, birds, pigs, and cetaceans.

The research team analyzed samples of 30 cetaceans for the study, including 8 whale species and several dolphin species, that were stranded in the Pacific basin between 2000 and 2020. Polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were used to test for the presence of BWCVin archived brain, kidney, liver, lung, spleen, and lymph node tissues.

Half of all the stranded cetaceans sampled tested positive for BWCV, with the highest number of positive samples coming from animals in Hawai?i. The virus was also found to be present in stranded Cuvier?s beaked whales (Ziphiuscavirostris) in Saipan and American S?moa, some 4,000 miles away from where the virus was first discovered. There are currently 11

Cetacean Species Known To Be

carriers of BWCV.

While results have shown that the virus has spread to the greater Pacific region and has been present there for at least the last 22 years, the direct impacts of the virus and its host are still not fully understood. BWCVwas not identified as the cause of death for any of the strandings, and when it was found, it was in addition to many other pathogens.

Studies like this provide valuable insight into marine viruses and their potential impacts, however, they are not possible without public reporting of distressed wildlife. The public is advised to report any sightings of distressed, injured, or dead marine mammals to the NOAA hotline at 1-888-256-9840.

By:Sofia Flores Pina,UHM MOPStudent