Threatened seals

2002/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

Scientists announce the proliferation of a virus between Dutch and Danish seals. This virus, which affects seals, killed half of the population of Northern Europe in 1988, about 18,000. Biologists are very concerned about the risk of the same happening.

Scientists believe that this time the virus has been contaminated for the first time on the island of Anholt, and as it spreads through the air, it expands very quickly by cough effect. According to biologist Albert Osterhaus, this second epidemic has not reached the extent of the 1988 epidemic, but 1,200 seals have already died.

In addition, only a fifth of seals have developed resistance to this virus in the 1988 epidemic. Therefore, although some colonies in Northern Europe are more at risk than others, biologists have described the situation as serious.