Keiko's Legacy Facebook page owner responded to me today and I wanted to share what transpired. Here is the message I received: Hi Rose! Sorry I am getting back to you so late, I contacted Dr. Naomi Rose, and she literally just got back to me in regards to your concern. I hope her response is of any help. Every pathogen is different when it comes to zoonosis (the ability of a pathogen to infect more than one species, most particularly moving from humans to other species or from other species to humans). The Zika virus was already zoonotic - its original reservoir (the species it originally infected) was monkeys in Africa. It jumped to people in the 1950s. Whether it can infect whales (transmitted by mosquitoes or from direct contact with an infected human) is entirely unknown as yet. It is highly unlikely that it or any other mosquito-borne pathogen would infect free-ranging (wild) orcas. Orcas in general are not going to be susceptible to mosquito-borne illnesses - they are too active (they are rarely still and spend about 80% of their time underwater, so it would be difficult to impossible for a mosquito to alight on their skin and bite) and are usually offshore enough that mosquitoes wouldn't be near them (mosquitoes are not typically found offshore over sea water) - in addition, many populations are in regions were mosquitoes are not numerous or are absent (Antarctica, for example). *If* Zika can infect orcas, captive orcas might be bitten by a Zika-carrying mosquito, as they are of course far less active and are often at the surface of their tanks. This is how the West Nile virus and the St. Louis encephalitis virus were transmitted to the captive orcas who died of these conditions - while they were "logging" at the surface of their tanks. The free-ranging whale this reader is referring to almost certainly (I would go so far as to say *certainly*) did not die of Zika, primarily because 1) it has not been determined to infect orcas and 2) I don't think Zika is common in any region where orcas are typically found in the US (or anywhere else orcas are likely to strand). But even assuming Zika can infect orcas, it is one of dozens of other possible causes for any stranding (and some causes are more common than others)! No one can simply "guess" how a free-ranging whale they have not examined or whose stranding records they have not examined died. How an animal died is not an opinion anyone can express. It's a factual matter that can only be determined through a necropsy and unless this person knows something about those necropsy results, making any claims about how the whale died is without basis. My Response: Well, I was referring to North Atlantic right whales who spend time in waters known to carry Zika-infected mosquito larvae. Zika is both maternally inherited and sexually transmitted (and North Atlantic right whales are highly promiscuous). Based on phylogenetics alone, it's a possibility that needs to be ruled out. Furthermore, the presence of a virus FACILITATES the invasion of Wolbachia (a reproductive parasite). I sincerely feel that without testing these whales for Zika, SLEV, WNV, and Wolbachia in somatic tissues (such as the gonads, CNS, brain, heart, optic nerve and retina) that my theory is "still on the table" and should NOT be dismissed so readily (based on assumptions that wild whales "move too fast" to be bitten). Again, Zika is inherited maternally (so it IS in mosquito larvae - which Cal fin is composed of). Anyways, I have written directly to the two pathologists involved (in Canada) and one responded with a "thank you" so I trust they will test for all three viruses and the presence of Wolbachia. Thanks again for letting Dr. Rose know and I appreciate her thoughts. The necropsies will tell the whole story and I sincerely hope that ALL testing will be done. Take good care, Rose P.S. I will add that North Atlantic right whales have been spotted as far south as the Bahamas and Mexico. The waters surrounding areas Puerto Rico alone would be teeming with Zika infected Aedes and Culex mosquito eggs and larvae. Here's a study that received no press: http://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/06/19/151951 Whole male mosquitoes (Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus) in Mexico had ZIKV. ZIKV-positive male pools suggests vertical transmission. I feel Dr. Rose may not be aware of this study. Addendum: My Thoughts and Additional Studies We do not know enough about the Zika virus and its reservoirs to be making broad statements such as: "The free-ranging whale this reader is referring to almost certainly (I would go so far as to say *certainly*) did not die of Zika." And, "its original reservoir (the species it originally infected) was monkeys in Africa." According to Okia et al. 1971, almost 1/2 of bulbuls had Zika. Sadly, it seems that only Canadian medical entomologist, Dr. Fiona Hunter, and I are recognizing this fact. Sources: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01248/full My reference-based article (with 17 citations): http://www.infobarrel.com/Red-Whiskered_Bulbul_Zikas_Ideal_Reservoir_Host Dr. Naomi Rose stated: "Whether it can infect whales (transmitted by mosquitoes or from direct contact with an infected human) is entirely unknown as yet." Yet, she appeared to have very strong opinions about my theories; she also stated: "No one can simply "guess" how a free-ranging whale they have not examined or whose stranding records they have not examined died ... How an animal died is not an opinion anyone can express ... making any claims about how the whale died is without basis." My concerns are that these whales will NOT be tested for Zika, West Nile, or St. Louis encephalitis viruses with strong, opinionated statements as these. And Wolbachia IS a reproductive parasite (so this is a no-brainer). Also, in the U.S. scientific community, there is commonly held belief that Zika is rarely a sexually-transmitted disease. However, "up to 47 percent of ZIKV cases in Barranquilla, with 95 percent confidence, may have been due to sexual contact alone." Source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1755436516300330 North Atlantic right whales are highly promiscuous (so this may be yet another way Zika could be transmitted). Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17971086 And keep in mind that "ZIKV has a high rate of asymptomatic infection, thus the observed cases represent a small fraction of the true number" (World Health, 2016; Fauci and Morens, 2016). Over 28,000 cases of Zika were reported in Puerto Rico as of Oct. 26th, 2016. The waters surrounding many islands in the Caribbean are obviously teeming with Zika-infected Aedes and Culex mosquitoes, eggs, and larvae. Eventually, Calanus finmarchicus and krill will be nibbling away at them. So, the major food source of North Atlantic right whales will also be exposed to the Zika virus. "Here, we report the isolation in cell culture of ZIKV from different body parts of wild-caught female mosquitoes (Ae. aegypti, Ae. vexans, Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. coronator, and Cx. tarsalis) and whole male mosquitoes (Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus) in Mexico. Importantly, the virus was isolated from the salivary glands of all of these mosquitoes." "Furthermore, we found ZIKV in a male pool of Ae. aegypti ... and a ZIKV-positive male pool of Cx. quinquefasciatus, which suggests vertical transmission and causes further concern." Source: http://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/06/19/151951 Other Claims I've Made Supported by Science: "The presence of a virus facilitates the invasion of Wolbachia (Strauß and Telschow, 2015). Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4412059 "North Atlantic right whales spotted as far south as the Bahamas and Mexico ... Scientists are confident there is at least one other nursery area but have yet to discover it. Where these whales mate is also a mystery." Source: http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/cetaceans/about/right_whales/north_atlantic_right_whale Bottom Line: We need to ensure that ALL testing on these whales is conducted (in a timely fashion) using the most reliable assays and with expert opinions from scientists WITHOUT any conflicts of interest. My article devoted to saving these whales (with 14 citations): http://www.infobarrel.com/Test_North_Atlantic_Right_Whales_for_WNV_SLEV_ZIKA_and_Wolbachia Thank you for your continued support, I'll be in touch. Warmly, Rose