Drones discover ‘harmful’ virus in arctic whales which may spark ‘catastrophic domino impact’
Scientists used drones to pick up viral genetic material from Arctic whales in remote waters, and found samples matching respiratory illness-causing viruses
Scientists have discovered a ‘worrying’ virus in Arctic whales through the use of unmanned drones, in a sign that pathogens are on the rise in polar waters.
Uncovered over the summer, researchers were able to sequence genetic material picked up from drones, and found that it matched viruses known to cause serious illness in marine animals. Drones were set up with sterile collection devices and captured the mist expelled during exhalation on disposable petri-dish–like surfaces or absorbent pads.
It comes after scientists are worried about a particular strain of bird flu which is spreading all over the world, with concerns that a human outbreak would be hard to contain. Once sourced, the samples were shipped to laboratories for testing. This non-invasive approach reduces stress on animals and allowed teams to sample larger numbers of whales across remote areas.
Researchers stressed that finding genetic material doesn’t automatically mean active, widespread disease. However, the findings were significant because the sequences matched viruses that, historically, caused respiratory disease and mass die-offs in marine mammals.
While the work is ongoing, early analyses suggest the virus belongs to a family that can affect lungs and, in some cases, the nervous system.
In a worst-case-scenario with millions of arctic whale deaths from the potential respiratory disease, there could be grim repercussions of the world and mankind.
Phytoplankton are responsible for producing more than 50% of the Earth’s oxygen. The decline of phytoplankton populations due to a lack of whale-provided fertilizer would significantly reduce global oxygen levels.
The sudden mass death of millions of Arctic whales would not only be a tragedy for those specific animals but would unleash a cascading environmental crisis with far-reaching consequences for the entire planet’s ecosystem and climate stability.
It comes as Brits have been urged to “mask up” as people socialising over the festive season has driven a deadly virus to “sharply increase”.
With UK households likely to be brimming with festive revellers this week, a spokesperson from UKHSA has issued a warning to Brits. According to the latest UK government figures there has been an uptick of patients admitted to hospital with Covid-19, with a 32.4% increase month-on-month.
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