Federal officials identified a virus Tuesday as the likely reason hundreds of bottlenose dolphins died along the East Coast, but they say there's a little they can do to stop the deaths. More than 330 dolphins have been stranded between New York and North Carolina since July 1, with nearly all of them dead by the time they wash the sea shore, the National Oceanic and atmospheric administration said. That's more than nine times the historical average for dolphin strandings in the region during July and August.

Virus may cause dolphin deaths. (2013, August 29). Manila Bulletin, p. B-9.