A new report published Monday identifies the culprit behind the mysterious disease that’s been killing millions of West Coast starfish.
After months of research, scientists have identified the pathogen at the heart of the starfish wasting disease. They say it’s different from all other known viruses infecting marine organisms.They’ve dubbed it “sea star associated denso virus.” Oddly enough, West Coast starfish have been living with the virus for decades.
The densovirus was detected in preserved starfish specimens from as far back as the 1940s.
Ian Hewson is a microbiologist at Cornell University. He’s the lead author of the study.
Hewson: "Something seems to have been the trigger to make this from some sort of benign infection into something that is really widespread and affecting so many different species."
Hewson’s team is investigating environmental factors that may might make starfish more susceptible to the virus. The syndrome affects more than 20 species of West Coast starfish.
Copyright 2014 Earthfix