Drones detect deadly virus in whale breath
Using an unusual method, researchers have detected a deadly virus in exhaled whale breath: drones capture droplets from the whale's breath.
Virus infections can weaken the immune system and cause, for example, skin parasites. Here on a sperm whale.
(Image: Zoë Morange/The Arctic University of Norway)
An alliance of scientists from King's College London, the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Nord University, and other participating partners have discovered the potentially deadly Cetacean Morbilli virus in the exhaled breath of free-living whales using drones. Humpback whales, sperm whales, and fin whales in Northern Norway were studied. The researchers assume that the virus is spread north of the Arctic Circle.
Various virus types such as Cetacean Morbillivirus, herpes, the avian influenza virus (AIV), and the bacterium Brucella spp. are linked to mass strandings of whales and dolphins in the Northeast Atlantic.
To gain insight into the health of whales, the research team chose an unorthodox method to examine whales non-invasively in the wild. The researchers used commercially available drones to which sterile Petri dishes were attached, flying them over the blowholes of surfacing whales to capture droplets of exhaled whale breath.
As the scientists write in the study „Deep breath out: molecular survey of selected pathogens in blow and skin biopsies from North Atlantic cetaceans“, published in BMC Veterinary Research, this is a groundbreaking innovation for detecting and monitoring pathogens in live whales without stress or harm. This allows for insights into diseases in the rapidly changing ecosystems of the Arctic.
Between 2016 and 2025, various samples from live and dead whales were collected and examined in the form of blow samples, skin biopsies, and in one case, an organ sample. The researchers found the Cetacean Morbillivirus, a highly pathogenic virus that can infect whales and dolphins, in humpback whale groups in Northern Norway, in a sperm whale, and in a stranded pilot whale in poor health. The virus causes severe respiratory illnesses and neurological immune damage that can lead to the animals' death. The virus was first discovered in 1987. At that time, it had triggered mass die-offs in whale populations.
Possible spread
In addition to Cetacean Morbillivirus, herpesviruses were also detected in blow samples from humpback whales in Norway, Iceland, and Cape Verde. However, the avian influenza virus and the Brucella bacterium were not found. The scientists are concerned that the viruses may now spread due to the dense winter feeding aggregations among the animals. Whales, seabirds, and humans interact closely during this time.
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To gather meaningful insights, the researchers aim for long-term monitoring of whales. The outbreak of pathogens is also linked to old and new stressors. Their effects could be determined through continuous monitoring of whale health.
The study was funded by King's College London and the Research Council of Norway. The study was conducted in cooperation with the Arctic University of Norway, the University of Iceland, and the environmental organization BIOS-CV in Cape Verde.
(olb)
