[Pollinator] A Response to the Bats

[Kimberley Fellows]

Hello again,

Dr. Borden is offering the following response to the Pollinator List-Serv:



**

There may be a partial good side to this tragedy.  Under this extreme
selection pressure, almost all bats that are susceptible to white-nose
syndrome will be gone, and they will no longer be a source of infection of
other bats, assuming that there is bat to bat transmission.  Any bats that
have the genetic capacity to endure and recover from white-nose syndrome,
or are actually immune, could then form the breeding basis of replacement
populations.  However, this is a big IF.  Even if there is no immunity or
resistance, there may be the potential for bats that have somehow escaped
the disease to form the basis of replacement populations.  However, one
would expect subsequent generations to be subject to periodic epizootics,
and for their populations to fluctuate around a much lower average level
than before the disease was introduced.  If there are any survivors, at
least they will not be short of food.



John H. Borden, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer

Contech Enterprises Inc.

7572 Progress Way, Delta, BC, V4G1E9

604 940 9944 Ex 303

www.contech-inc.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sonic.net/pipermail/pollinator/attachments/20130417/35bde8ee/attachment.html>