[Pollinator] (From Catherine Puckett) USGS: Fungus Implicated in White-Nose Syndrome in Bats

[Catherine E Puckett]

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This release, PHOTOS, A MAP, and A PODCAST  can be found in the USGS 
Newsroom at: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2058.




News Release



October 30, 2008 


David Blehert 
608-270-2466 
dblehert at usgs.gov 
Gail Moede Rogall 
608-270-2438 
gmrogall at usgs.gov 
Catherine Puckett 
352-275-2639 
cpuckett at usgs.gov 




Newly Identified Fungus Implicated in White-Nose Syndrome in Bats: 
Mysterious Bat Disease Decimates Colonies in the Northeast
A previously undescribed, cold-loving fungus has been linked to white-nose 
syndrome, a condition associated with the deaths of over 100,000 
hibernating bats in the northeastern United States. The findings are 
published in this week's issue of Science.
The probable cause of these bat deaths has puzzled researchers and 
resource managers urgently trying to understand why the bats were dying in 
such unprecedented numbers. Since the winter of 2006-07, bat declines at 
many surveyed hibernation caves exceeded 75 percent.
The fungus?a white, powdery-looking organism?is commonly found on the 
muzzles, ears and wings of afflicted dead and dying bats, though 
researchers have not yet determined that it is the only factor causing 
bats to die. Most of the bats are also emaciated, and some of them leave 
their hibernacula?winter caves where they hibernate?to seek food that they 
will not find in winter.

USGS microbiologist and lead author David Blehert isolated the fungus in 
April 2008, and identified it as a member of the group Geomyces. The 
research was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey scientists in 
collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental 
Conservation, the New York State Department of Health, and others.
Geomyces are a group of fungi that live in soil, water and air and are 
capable of growing and reproducing at refrigerator-level temperatures. 
Although the new fungus is a close genetic relative of known Geomyces, it 
does not look like a typical member of this group under the microscope. 
"We found that this fungus had colonized the skin of 90 percent of the 
bats we analyzed from all the states affected by white-nose syndrome," 
Blehert said.
Researchers don't know yet if white-nose syndrome emerged because this 
newly identified fungus was introduced into caves or whether the fungus 
already existed in caves and began infecting bats after they were already 
weakened from some other cause. "This fungus may have been recently 
introduced to bat hibernation caves and, if so, human and animal movements 
among these caves are causes that need to be considered,"says Blehert. 
"Data show the occurrence of white-nose syndrome radiating outward from 
the site of its first appearance, and genetic identity among fungal 
isolates from distant caves argues for a recent introduction of this 
microbe. Before the identification of white-nose syndrome, mass mortality 
events in bats as a result of disease were very rare."
WNS was first seen in New York during the winter of 2006. Since then, 
populations of cave-hibernating bats have been drastically declining in 
New York, Vermont, Massachusetts  and Connecticut. Affected species 
include little brown bats, northern bats, tricolored bats, Indiana bats, 
small-footed myotis and big brown bats.
Worldwide, bats play critical ecological roles in insect control, plant 
pollination and seed dissemination, and the decline of North American bat 
populations would likely have far-reaching ecological consequences, the 
researchers wrote. They noted that parallels can be drawn between the 
threat posed by WNS and chytridiomycosis, a lethal fungal skin infection 
that has recently caused precipitous global amphibian population declines.
"Right now," said Blehert, "we are uncertain about the long-term effects 
of white-nose syndrome on North American bats, but we are quite concerned 
about future effects on bat populations wherever environmental conditions 
are conducive to growth of the fungus. To manage and perhaps halt this 
disease, we have to first better understand it."
Websites for additional information:
USGS National Wildlife Health Center 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
Bat Conservation International 
 USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit 
www.usgs.gov.
Subscribe to USGS News Releases via our electronic mailing list or RSS 
feed.
**** www.usgs.gov ****
Links and contacts within this release are valid at the time of 
publication.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catherine Puckett 
USGS Office of Communications
2201 NW 40th Terrace
Gainesville, FL 32605-3574
OFFICE PHONE: 352-264-3532
CELL PHONE: 352-275-2639
FAX: 352-374-8080
EMAIL: cpuckett at usgs.gov
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