Ten young dolphins have been found washed up on the shores of the Gulf of Venice over the last ten days between Basso Veneto and the Marche, prompting fears of a lethal virus. Experts are particularly concerned because the youthful age of the dolphins makes a natural cause for the deaths less likely. The dolphins were washed up on the beaches already in an advanced state of decomposition. Experts are making use of a helicopter provided by the forestry authority to try to find a dolphin that has recently died in order to carry out tests. A virus that struck the dolphin population in 1991 resulted in over 500 specimens being washed up on the beaches of the Mediterranean.