2013 Mid-Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin UME Investigation Results

Morbillivirus Positive Cases Identified

84 out of 93 dolphins tested to date were confirmed positive or suspect positive for morbillivirus.

Data as of September 23, 2013.

State	Suspect Positive	Confirmed Positive	Total
Delaware	1	1	2
Maryland	3	0	3
New Jersey	19	15	34
New York	3	1	4
North Carolina	4	5	9
South Carolina	3	0	3
Virginia	21	8	29
Total	54	30	84

6 out of 13 dolphins tested to date were confirmed positive or suspect positive for Brucella.

Data as of September 23, 2013.

State	Suspect Positive	Confirmed Positive	Total
Virginia	0	6	6

Information about Brucella:

Brucella sp. bacteria have been found in joint, brain, or reproductive organ lesions in four dolphins.
Brucella is a common bacteria found in marine mammals and the presence of Brucella in marine mammals was first recognized in the 1990s and is commonly found in many marine mammal populations globally.
NOAA has been investigating Brucella in marine mammal populations across the United States since 2011 and is working closely with our stranding network partners, NOAA laboratories, the University of Illinois, the CDC and State Departments of Health, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Brucella has never been documented in humans after direct exposure to marine mammals, though there has been a single case of occupational exposure in a laboratory worker that was obtained after working with isolates from an infected dolphin (Brew et al. 1999). Therefore, there is likely a low but possible risk of transmission of Brucella bacteria to animal care workers from infected animals at necropsy or from working with live animals.

Updated September 24, 2013