White nose syndrome
Encyclopedia
White nose syndrome is a poorly understood disease associated with the deaths of more than a million bat
s. The condition, named for a distinctive fungal
growth
around the muzzles and on the wings of many affected animals, was first identified in a cave
in Schoharie County, New York
, USA, in February 2006. It steadily spread and as of spring 2010, the condition had been found in over 115 caves and mines ranging mostly throughout the Northeastern US and as far south as North Carolina and west to Tennessee and into the provinces of Quebec and Ontario in Canada.
According to laboratory research in late 2011, the syndrome appears to be caused by a fungus called Geomyces destructans
, but no obvious treatment or means of preventing transmission is known.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) has called for a moratorium on caving
activities in the affected areas,
and strongly recommends that any clothing or equipment used in such areas be decontaminated after each use.
The National Speleological Society
(NSS) maintains an up-to-date page to keep cavers apprised of current events and advisories.
appears to disrupt the normal patterns of hibernation, causing bats to arouse too frequently from torpor
(temporary hibernation) and starve to death through excessive activity. The symptoms associated with WNS include loss of body fat, unusual winter behavior (including flying), damage and scarring of the wing membranes, and death.
The disease first showed up in the news after January 2007, reported in bats in some New York caves. It spread to other New York caves and into Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut in 2008. In early 2009 it was confirmed in New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and in March 2010 in Ontario, Canada, and northern Tennessee.
Alan Hicks with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
has described the impact as "unprecedented" and "the gravest threat to bats ... ever seen." The mortality rate in some caves has exceeded 90 percent. A once common species, little brown myotis
, has suffered a major population collapse and may be at risk of rapid extinction in the northeastern US within 20 years from mortality associated with WNS. There are currently 9 hibernating bat species confirmed with infection of Geomyces destructans and at least 5 of those species have suffered major mortality. Some of those species are already listed as endangered on the US endangered species list, including the Indiana bat, whose primary hibernaculum in New York has been affected. The long-term impact of the reduction in bat populations may be an increase in insects, possibly even leading to crop damage or other economic impact in New England.
Bat colonies have been decimated throughout the northeastern US and has spread into mid-atlantic states and northward into Canada. The Forest Service estimates that the die-off from white-nose syndrome means that at least 2.4 million pounds of bugs (1.1 million kg) will go uneaten and become a financial burden to farmers. Furthermore, the disease could threaten an already endangered species, such as Indiana bats and the big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus), the official state bat of Virginia.
Comparisons have been raised to colony collapse disorder
, another poorly-understood phenomenon resulting in the abrupt disappearance of Western honey bee colonies, and with chytridiomycosis
, a fungal skin disease linked with worldwide declines in amphibian populations
.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is also partnering with the Northeastern Cave Conservancy to track movements of cavers that have visited affected sites in New York. It has also advised closing caves to explorers in 20 states, from the Midwest to New England. This directive will soon be extended to 13 southern states. As one Virginia scientist stated, "If it gets into caves more to our south, in places like Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama, we’re going to be talking deaths in the millions."
Recent research has found that the fungus may respond to typical human anti-fungal treatments. More studies are being undertaken to determine how best to use this knowledge.
as the sole cause of the disease. A 2008 study determined that the fungus found on the muzzles, wings, ears and all exposed skin tissues of infected bats is a member of the genus Geomyces
. A 2011 study found that 100% of healthy bats infected with the fungus Geomyces destructans
cultured from infected bats exhibit lesions consistent with the disease, providing evidence that the fungus alone, and not a combination of factors is responsible for the disease.
The fungus Geomyces destructans
is a cold-loving fungus that grows at temperatures below 20 °C (68 °F) and grows on the bats when they are hibernating in caves and mines during winter.
Another species of the genus is G. pannorum, a pathogen responsible for skin infections in humans.
The role of humans in the spread of the disease, and the transmission of the fungus from Europe, is debated. The occurrence of the same fungus in healthy bats in Europe suggests that the the fungus originated in Europe, where some bats acquired immunity, and was somehow transmitted to bats in North America which lack any immunity to the disease. This aspect of the geographic spread lead some officials to argue that humans may also transmit WNS from infected sites to clean sites, probably on clothing and equipment.
The fungus Geomyces destructans, or a closely related species of fungus, has been found in soil samples from infected caves and suggests that it can be transported from cave to cave by soil, such as that carried by human clothing. Precautionary decontamination methods are being encouraged to inhibit the possible spread of spores by humans. Cave management and preservation organizations have been requesting that cave visitors limit their activities and disinfect clothing and equipment that has been used in possibly infected caves. In some cases, access to caves is being closed entirely.
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s. The condition, named for a distinctive fungal
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
growth
Hypha
A hypha is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium; yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not grow as hyphae.-Structure:A hypha consists of one or...
around the muzzles and on the wings of many affected animals, was first identified in a cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
in Schoharie County, New York
Schoharie County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,582 people, 11,991 households and 8,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 15,915 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, USA, in February 2006. It steadily spread and as of spring 2010, the condition had been found in over 115 caves and mines ranging mostly throughout the Northeastern US and as far south as North Carolina and west to Tennessee and into the provinces of Quebec and Ontario in Canada.
According to laboratory research in late 2011, the syndrome appears to be caused by a fungus called Geomyces destructans
Geomyces destructans
Geomyces destructans is a psychrophilic fungus that is associated with White nose syndrome , a fatal disease that has decimated bat populations in parts of the US. Unlike other species of Geomyces, Geomyces destructans forms asymmetrically curved conidia...
, but no obvious treatment or means of preventing transmission is known.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) has called for a moratorium on caving
Caving
Caving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...
activities in the affected areas,
and strongly recommends that any clothing or equipment used in such areas be decontaminated after each use.
The National Speleological Society
National Speleological Society
The National Speleological Society is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. Originally located in Washington D.C., its current offices are in Huntsville, Alabama...
(NSS) maintains an up-to-date page to keep cavers apprised of current events and advisories.
Impact
The fungus Geomyces destructansGeomyces destructans
Geomyces destructans is a psychrophilic fungus that is associated with White nose syndrome , a fatal disease that has decimated bat populations in parts of the US. Unlike other species of Geomyces, Geomyces destructans forms asymmetrically curved conidia...
appears to disrupt the normal patterns of hibernation, causing bats to arouse too frequently from torpor
Torpor
Torpor, sometimes called temporary hibernation is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually characterized by a reduced body temperature and rate of metabolism. Animals that go through torpor include birds and some mammals such as mice and bats...
(temporary hibernation) and starve to death through excessive activity. The symptoms associated with WNS include loss of body fat, unusual winter behavior (including flying), damage and scarring of the wing membranes, and death.
The disease first showed up in the news after January 2007, reported in bats in some New York caves. It spread to other New York caves and into Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut in 2008. In early 2009 it was confirmed in New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and in March 2010 in Ontario, Canada, and northern Tennessee.
Alan Hicks with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...
has described the impact as "unprecedented" and "the gravest threat to bats ... ever seen." The mortality rate in some caves has exceeded 90 percent. A once common species, little brown myotis
Little brown bat
The little brown bat is a species of the genus Myotis , one of the most common bats of North America...
, has suffered a major population collapse and may be at risk of rapid extinction in the northeastern US within 20 years from mortality associated with WNS. There are currently 9 hibernating bat species confirmed with infection of Geomyces destructans and at least 5 of those species have suffered major mortality. Some of those species are already listed as endangered on the US endangered species list, including the Indiana bat, whose primary hibernaculum in New York has been affected. The long-term impact of the reduction in bat populations may be an increase in insects, possibly even leading to crop damage or other economic impact in New England.
Bat colonies have been decimated throughout the northeastern US and has spread into mid-atlantic states and northward into Canada. The Forest Service estimates that the die-off from white-nose syndrome means that at least 2.4 million pounds of bugs (1.1 million kg) will go uneaten and become a financial burden to farmers. Furthermore, the disease could threaten an already endangered species, such as Indiana bats and the big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus), the official state bat of Virginia.
Comparisons have been raised to colony collapse disorder
Colony Collapse Disorder
Colony collapse disorder is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or European honey bee colony abruptly disappear. While such disappearances have occurred throughout the history of apiculture, the term colony collapse disorder was first applied to a drastic rise in the number of...
, another poorly-understood phenomenon resulting in the abrupt disappearance of Western honey bee colonies, and with chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis is an infectious disease of amphibians, caused by the chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a non-hyphal zoosporic fungus. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or even extinctions of amphibian species in western North America, Central America, South...
, a fungal skin disease linked with worldwide declines in amphibian populations
Decline in amphibian populations
Dramatic declines in amphibian populations, including population crashes and mass localized extinctions, have been noted since the 1980s from locations all over the world...
.
Research
Biologists are investigating the geographic extent of the outbreaks and collecting samples of affected bats. A geographic database is being developed to track the location of sites where WNS has been found, collecting information at each site in regards to the number of bats affected.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is also partnering with the Northeastern Cave Conservancy to track movements of cavers that have visited affected sites in New York. It has also advised closing caves to explorers in 20 states, from the Midwest to New England. This directive will soon be extended to 13 southern states. As one Virginia scientist stated, "If it gets into caves more to our south, in places like Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama, we’re going to be talking deaths in the millions."
Recent research has found that the fungus may respond to typical human anti-fungal treatments. More studies are being undertaken to determine how best to use this knowledge.
Cause
Increasing evidence is accumulating that points to Geomyces destructansGeomyces destructans
Geomyces destructans is a psychrophilic fungus that is associated with White nose syndrome , a fatal disease that has decimated bat populations in parts of the US. Unlike other species of Geomyces, Geomyces destructans forms asymmetrically curved conidia...
as the sole cause of the disease. A 2008 study determined that the fungus found on the muzzles, wings, ears and all exposed skin tissues of infected bats is a member of the genus Geomyces
Geomyces
Geomyces is a genus of filamentous fungus in the family Myxotrichaceae. Members of the genus are widespread in distribution, especially in northern temperate regions. Known to be psychrotolerant and associated with Arctic permafrost soils, they are equally prevalent in the air of domestic...
. A 2011 study found that 100% of healthy bats infected with the fungus Geomyces destructans
Geomyces destructans
Geomyces destructans is a psychrophilic fungus that is associated with White nose syndrome , a fatal disease that has decimated bat populations in parts of the US. Unlike other species of Geomyces, Geomyces destructans forms asymmetrically curved conidia...
cultured from infected bats exhibit lesions consistent with the disease, providing evidence that the fungus alone, and not a combination of factors is responsible for the disease.
The fungus Geomyces destructans
Geomyces destructans
Geomyces destructans is a psychrophilic fungus that is associated with White nose syndrome , a fatal disease that has decimated bat populations in parts of the US. Unlike other species of Geomyces, Geomyces destructans forms asymmetrically curved conidia...
is a cold-loving fungus that grows at temperatures below 20 °C (68 °F) and grows on the bats when they are hibernating in caves and mines during winter.
Another species of the genus is G. pannorum, a pathogen responsible for skin infections in humans.
Spread
There is consensus among researchers that bat-to-bat transmission is the predominant factor in the spread of the disease. A laboratory experiment suggests that physical bat-to-bat contact is required for the spread of the disease. The same study found that bats in mesh cages adjacent to infected bats did not contract the fungus, implying that the fungus is not airborne, or at least is not spread from bat to bat through the air.The role of humans in the spread of the disease, and the transmission of the fungus from Europe, is debated. The occurrence of the same fungus in healthy bats in Europe suggests that the the fungus originated in Europe, where some bats acquired immunity, and was somehow transmitted to bats in North America which lack any immunity to the disease. This aspect of the geographic spread lead some officials to argue that humans may also transmit WNS from infected sites to clean sites, probably on clothing and equipment.
The fungus Geomyces destructans, or a closely related species of fungus, has been found in soil samples from infected caves and suggests that it can be transported from cave to cave by soil, such as that carried by human clothing. Precautionary decontamination methods are being encouraged to inhibit the possible spread of spores by humans. Cave management and preservation organizations have been requesting that cave visitors limit their activities and disinfect clothing and equipment that has been used in possibly infected caves. In some cases, access to caves is being closed entirely.
External links
- Species Profile- White-Nose Syndrome, National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural LibraryUnited States National Agricultural LibraryThe United States National Agricultural Library is one of the world's largest agricultural research libraries, and serves as a National Library of the United States and as the library of the United States Department of Agriculture...
. Lists general information and resources for White-Nose Syndrome. - White-nose Syndrome from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region (public domain photos and Flickr page)
- White-Nose Syndrome Threatens the Survival of Hibernating Bats in North America from the U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center
- Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on June 4, 2009
- WNS News from the National Speleological SocietyNational Speleological SocietyThe National Speleological Society is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. Originally located in Washington D.C., its current offices are in Huntsville, Alabama...
- WNS News Archive from Bat Conservation InternationalBat Conservation InternationalBat Conservation International is an international non-governmental organization working to conserve the world’s bats and their habitats through conservation, education and research efforts....
- Bat Man vs. White Nose article and video from BU Today, Sept 10, 2009
- White Nose Syndrome narrated slideshow from wildlife photographer Gerrit Vyn
- Bat Boy joins fight against WNS humor from Weekly World NewsWeekly World NewsThe Weekly World News was a supermarket tabloid published in the United States from 1979 to 2007, renowned for its outlandish cover stories often based on supernatural or paranormal themes and an approach to news that verged on the satirical. Its characteristic black-and-white covers have become...
- http://savelucythebat.org/ Empowering youth to conserve North American bats in the face of WNS and other threats
- Scientific community unites to save bats - article and video from WHYY/NewsWorks