Access

Published online 12 July 2002 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news020708-15

News

Virus threatens seals

Researchers fear reprise of 1988 epidemic that wiped out half of Europe's seals.

Fears are growing that thousands of seal carcasses could litter North Sea beaches over the coming months. Researchers in the Netherlands and Denmark report an alarming rise in phocine distemper, a virus that killed half of Northern Europe's seals in 19881.

Comments

Reader comments are usually moderated after posting. If you find something offensive or inappropriate, you can speed this process by clicking 'Report this comment' (or, if that doesn't work for you, email redesign@nature.com). For more controversial topics, we reserve the right to moderate before comments are published.