A massive string of dead dolphins along the East Coast is most likely due to cetacean morbillivirus, a marine strain of a virus similar to measles, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
At least 333 bottlenose dolphins have been found dead from New York to North Carolina, officials said during a Tuesday press conference. The strandings peak inVirginia, where 174 carcasses have washed ashore. The agency declared the die-off an "unusual mortality event" earlier this month.
Looking at a chart of past years, death rates are nine-times higher than usual.