Deadly virus outbreak detected on the Barcelona coast

On 7 September, a grouper found in waters near Barcelona revealed the presence of betanodavirus, also known as viral nervous necrosis. The specimen, handed in by a member of the Associació de Pesca Submarina, was analysed at the UAB, where a massive infection in its nervous system was confirmed.

This virus, which has for years caused serious die-offs of groupers and other species throughout the Mediterranean, has spread from the Balearic Islands, Italy and Greece to the Catalan coast, raising alarms in marine reserves as sensitive as Cap de Creus and the Illes Medes.

Faced with the risk of new outbreaks, the UAB and the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM-CSIC) have launched an early-warning network combining science and public collaboration. Divers, recreational fishers and natural-park technicians take part in surveillance, becoming the first sentinels of a silent threat.

Experts stress that advanced diagnostic tools and experimental vaccines could help contain the impact. The case also demonstrates how society's involvement is key to protecting marine biodiversity from an invisible enemy advancing rapidly.

Photo by uab.cat