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Millions of sea stars along the West Coast have perished in the past several years from an apparent wasting disease. The iconic marine creature develops white lesions on its limbs and within days can dissolve or "melt" into a gooey mass. Last year, researchers identified a type of pathogen known as a densovirus as the likely cause, but they still can't explain the mass die-off three years ago. Now, a group of young marine-disease researchers from around the country has contributed key information about the sea stars' immune response when infected with this virus. [Source: University of Washington]
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