US EditionDrones Detect Deadly Virus in Arctic Whales' Breath
Researchers confirmed cetacean morbillivirus in Arctic whales using drone-collected breath samples, detecting the virus for the first time above the Arctic Circle after nearly a decade of study.
- Researchers from King's College London and Nord University announced cetacean morbillivirus is circulating above the Arctic Circle, based on samples from 2016–2025, reported December 18.
- Because morbillivirus has triggered past mass mortality events, researchers pursued non-invasive surveillance as experts say drone sampling could aid conservation managers by detecting emerging viral threats early.
- Using consumer drones fitted with sterile Petri dishes, teams collected exhaled respiratory droplets, skin biopsies, and one organ sample, then screened them with molecular laboratory tests that found herpesviruses but no avian influenza or Brucella.
- Officials caution that morbillivirus highlights the importance of continued surveillance, as it can jump species and pose risks during dense winter‑feeding aggregations involving whales, seabirds, and humans, said Helena Costa.
- Professor Terry Dawson, Department of Geography, King's College London, said drone blow sampling is a game-changer, and Helena Costa, lead author, Nord University, urged long‑term surveillance in the coming years.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Drones discover deadly virus in Arctic whales’ breath
A deadly virus has been found in the breath of whales, and it is causing mass deaths among the mammals in the Arctic Circle. Researchers used drones to fly special equipment through exhaled droplets, known as ‘blows’, which are released when whales come up to breathe through their blowholes. So, what did the researchers find? (Picture: Getty) They detected a highly infectious virus, known as cetacean morbillivirus, which has been linked …
The disease is highly contagious, spreads easily among dolphins, whales, and bottlenose dolphins, causing severe symptoms and mass mortality.
Scientists use drones to detect deadly virus in Arctic whales' breath in concerning discovery
Scientists have confirmed for the first time a potentially lethal pathogen circulating among whale populations in Arctic waters, following an innovative surveillance effort using drones to collect breath samples.The virus, known as cetacean morbillivirus and sometimes called "the measles of the ocean", has been linked to mass die-offs of marine mammals globally since researchers first identified it in 1987.An international team led by Nord Unive…
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