A beached whale in New Jersey has tested positive for a virus that likely caused more than 1,200 dolphins to become stranded in shallow water or to wash up on shores , researchers said Thursday . After the 21-foot minke whale washed up on the shores of Atlantic City on May 1 , a necropsy and subsequent analysis by the University of California , Davis confirmed that the whale was positive for cetacean morbillivirus , according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine , New Jersey . The virus is similar to measles in humans or canine distemper in dogs , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . After consulting with disease experts and conducting tests on dolphins in several states , NOAA determined that morbillivirus is likely the cause for 1,283 dolphin `` strandings '' on the East Coast since last July . For each of the previous five years , there were an average of 253 strandings for that same time period . The strandings , where dolphins get stuck in shallow water or wash up on shores , are more than five times the historical average in the affected areas : New York , New Jersey , Delaware , Maryland , Virginia , North Carolina , South Carolina , Georgia and Florida , according to NOAA . Some of the stranded dolphins were found alive , but most were found dead , with many in a state of advanced decomposition . Many dolphins had lesions on their skin , mouth , joints , or lungs , according to data published on NOAA 's website . The minke whale , which was tagged with graffiti the night it washed up on the beach , is the first whale that tested positive for the virus in New Jersey . Some were found in other states along the East Coast . `` 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 . Robert Schoelkopf , the director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center , says it 's unclear how the minke whale contracted the virus , but additional testing is being done . `` Minke whales do n't travel in large groups like dolphins do , so it 's still uncertain , '' Schoelkopf said . Mooney-Seus said it was unknown whether `` it 's a strain of morbillivirus in whales or if it was transmitted from dolphins . '' NOAA officials say there is no way to stop the spread of the virus . Currently , there are no medications or vaccines that could be effectively administered to wild marine populations . `` We ca n't inoculate every marine mammal in the ocean , '' Schoelkopf said . Scientists hope that learning more about the virus will help them address factors that may facilitate its spread . While the virus is generally spread through the air or through contact with other animals , it is not infectious to humans . On August 8 , 2013 , NOAA issued an Unusual Mortality Event in response to the high number of deaths . The declaration brought special federal attention to the deaths as something that serves as an indicator of ocean health and may give `` insight into larger environmental issues which may also have implications for human health and welfare , '' according to NOAA 's website . The UME declaration for the mid-Atlantic bottlenose dolphins was one of 60 that the agency has issued since it was established under the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1991 . In 29 of those cases , infections , biotoxins , human intervention and malnutrition , were among the causes determined .
A beached whale in New Jersey has tested positive for a virus found in 253 of dolphins . The whale was positive for cetacean morbillivirus , which is similar to measles in humans . New Jersey likely 1,283 dolphin `` strandings '' on the East Coast since last July .