Unusual Mortality Event Declared after Surge of Dolphin Deaths in Mid-Atlantic [VIDEO]

Federal wildlife officials have declared an unusual mortality event (UME) for bottlenose dolphins in the mid-Atlantic region.

The move comes after an inordinate amount of dolphins have washed up dead or dying on the beaches of the East Coast. Examination of the dolphins has revealed that some of the creatures have has lesions on their lungs, which may point to a viral infection, though officials from NOAA Fisheries report that it is still too early to say for sure whether a morbillivirus is causing the unusually high number of dolphin mortailties.

Morbillivirus is a marine mammal condition similar to distemper in dogs, attacking the central nervous system and causing difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, brain swelling and often death.

Recently the number of dolphins found dead on beaches in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New York and New Jersey have significantly increased.

"Based on the rapid increase in strandings over the last two weeks and the geographic extent of these mortalities, an infectious pathogen is at the top of the list of potential causes for this UME, but all potential causes of these mortalities will be evaluated," NOAA Fisheries said on its website.

"Work is underway to determine whether an infectious agent affecting these dolphins is present in collected tissue samples."

Compared to the data from the past six years, the number of bottlenose dolphin strandings in July has been astronomical in the mid-Atlantic states.

In July, 89 bottlenose dolphins were found washed ashore and as of Wednesday another 35 have washed up so far this month in the five states, a NOAA spokeswoman told AFP on Friday. A normal July in Virgina would typically see seven dolphin strandings, so the 47 that happened in the state in July is concerning to wildlife officials.

A quarter century ago more than 740 bottlenose dolphins died as a result of a morbillivirus outbreak that affected dolphins in waters from New Jersey to Florida in 1987-1988.

If a virus is responsible for this recent spate of dolphin deaths, there is not much wildlife officials can do.

"It has to run its course," Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center spokeswoman Linda Candler told AFP.

"You can't immunize a wild population, unfortunately."