A whale that washed up dead on the New Jersey shore in May has tested positive for a virus found among dolphins and is also the reason for an investigation into a nearby fraternity.
The Minke whale, which was discovered on Atlantic City beach, was marked with graffiti designating the Greek letters for the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity, Canada Journal reported.
The whale tested positive for cetacean morbillivirus, a virus that likely resulted in 1,200 dolphins becoming stranded in shallow water or washing up on the shore, WPTV reported.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the virus is comparable to measles for humans or distemper for dogs, WPTV reported. Dolphins have been found stranded in shallow waters or washed up onshore in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
The minke was the first whale to be found with the virus in New Jersey, but whales have tested positive for cetacean morbillivirus in other states.
"We've had three humpback whales that tested suspect positive, but we're still waiting for additional lab results. Two pigmy sperm whales have also tested positive," said Maggie Mooney-Seus, public affairs officer for NOAA, as quoted by WPTV.
Officials still aren't sure if "it's a strain of morbillivirus in whales or if it was transmitted from dolphins," Mooney-Seus said.
The virus, which spreads through the air or through contact between animals, cannot infect humans. Scientists are working to learn more about the virus in the hopes of stopping it from spreading, but NOAA officials currently have no way to stop it through vaccines or medications.
"We can't inoculate every marine mammal in the ocean," said Robert Schoelkopf, the director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, as quoted by WPTV.
The fraternity signified by the graffiti letters found on the dead whale is headquartered in Voorhees, N.J., and has three chapters at nearby universities, according to Gawker. A spokesman for Tau Epsilon Phi condemned the act and said the fraternity was working with the authorities.
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