wˈɪljəm wˈɪlsən ænd hɪz tˈiːm æt ðə mɚɹˈiːn bˌaɪəlˈɑːdʒɪkəl ɐsˌoʊsɪˈeɪʃən ˌɛmbˌiːˈeɪ, jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv ˈiːst ˈæŋɡliə ænd plˈɪməθ mɚɹˈiːn lˈæbɹətˌɔːɹi pˌiːˌɛmˈɛl, fˈɜːst əbzˈɜːvd ðə vˈaɪɹəs ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti nˈaɪn.
William Wilson and his team at the Marine Biological Association (MBA), University of East Anglia and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), first observed the virus in 1999.