Scientists search for answers as baby whales wash up dead in Argentina
Investigators suspect erysipelas or another marine bacterium, and they say bacteria have already been detected in tissue samples from the dead calves.
- On Thursday, scientists in Argentina's Patagonia region identified a suspected bacterial infection behind the mystery deaths of hundreds of southern right whale calves washed up on beaches in Chubut province.
- Mariano Coscarella, a researcher at the Marine Mammals Laboratory of Conicet, suspects an outbreak of erysipelas, a serious disease caused by bacteria commonly found on whale skin.
- Authorities have counted 1,375 specimens this year, including nearly 400 calves, while a record 2,110 whales, including 800 young, were counted last year in the area.
- "The death rate is quite high this season in particular," Coscarella confirmed, noting "It seems to be a natural cause however we cannot completely rule out the influence of human activity."
- These deaths "do not constitute a medium-term danger" for the population, given the southern right whale's 60-year average life span, according to experts studying breeding grounds near Valdes Peninsula.
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Associated Press News
Scientists search for answers as baby whales wash up dead in Argentina
Scientists in Argentina are trying to find out why unusually high numbers of baby whales are washing up dead along the Patagonian coast.
On Monday, a new whale-breeding appeared dead on the coasts of Puerto Madryn and last week another six.The largest annual record so far is 2012, with 113 deaths.
The emergence of an unusually high number of dead babies this season triggered alarms and an investigation of the causes
Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija
lrytas.ltDozens of dead baby whales have washed up on the coast of Argentina's Valdes Peninsula. Current evidence suggests that the cause of their deaths is a bacteria that can cause systemic diseases in the young, the Chubut province said.
In the Argentine province of Chubut, beautiful local beaches are not only a place for people to relax but also home to numerous animal species: penguins, sea lions, seals, killer whales, and southern right whales. However, this summer has been tragic for the latter, with dozens of dead individuals found since June.
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