Cetacean morbillivirus

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is a virus that infects marine mammals in the order Cetacea, which includes dolphins, porpoises and whales.^[1] Three genetically distinct strains have been identified: dolphin morbillivirus (DMV), pilot whale morbillivirus (PWMV) and porpoise morbillivirus (PMV).^[2] Symptoms of infection are often a severe combination of pneumonia, encephalitis and damage to the immune system, which greatly impair the cetacean's ability to swim and stay afloat unassisted.^[3][4] Since its discovery in 1987, CeMV has been responsible for numerous epizootics of mass mortality in cetacean populations.^[3] Epizootics of CeMV can be easily identified by a significant increase in the number of stranded cetaceans on beaches and shores.^[5]

Cetacean morbillivirus
Virus classification
(unranked):	Virus
Realm:	Riboviria
Kingdom:	Orthornavirae
Phylum:	Negarnaviricota
Class:	Monjiviricetes
Order:	Mononegavirales
Family:	Paramyxoviridae
Genus:	Morbillivirus
Species:	Morbillivirus ceti
Strains
Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) Pilot whale morbillivirus (PWMV) Porpoise morbillivirus (PMV)