According to Aydin Kydyrmanov, laboratory chief at the Research Center of Microbiology and Virology, mass die-off of the Caspian seals in Mangistau region was caused by neuroinfection, Kazinform News Agency reports.
As reported, some 2,000 dead seals were discovered in Mangistau region’s Tupkaragan and Karakiya districts in October-November 2024. The Center's employees who had arrived at the scene took samples from the dead seals' carcasses.
The experts conducted a molecular genetic analysis and discovered a new viral disease in the brain and lung tissues.
“There was a virus in all the samples. This is a viral neuroinfection. The detection of the virus in the animals’ brain proves that this is the only cause of the disease,” Aidyn Kydyrmanov said adding that immunodeficiency contributed to the disease progress
This disease has not been sufficiently studied yet. It is typical for marine mammals.
In early December, in an interview with a Kazinform correspondent, Dan Jarvis, Director of Welfare and Conservation at British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), commented on the reports of Caspian seal die-offs, describing it as a "critical conservation issue in the Caspian region."
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