Wildlife

Measles Virus Kills 100 Dolphins off Italian Coast

A viral strain that causes measles in humans has killed more than 100 striped dolphins that have washed up along Italy’s western coast from Tuscany to Calabria, as well as the island of Sicily so far this year.

The country’s National Institute of Marine Sciences said that the death rate among the striped dolphins has dropped abruptly this month, possibly indicating the outbreak has run its course.

The epidemic mostly affected young dolphins under the ages of 15 to 20 years.