http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/white-nose_syndrome/ The latest news about White Nose Syndrome. en-us 720 Copyright National Wildlife Health Center Mon, 20 May 2013 01:24:29 -0500 karen_cunningham@usgs.gov tbeighley@usgs.gov http://www.chattanoogan.com/2013/3/13/246522/More-Accurate-Sensitive-DNA-Test.aspx Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#114 http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/us-bat-epidemic-spreads-to-20th-state White-nose syndrome has invaded Illinois, wildlife officials confirmed Thursday, making it the 20th U.S. state to be infested by the bizarre, bat-killing fungal infection. The epidemic has been sweeping west since its mysterious 2006 debut in New York, killing about 6 million bats along the way. It's now confirmed in 20 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces, with a mortality rate as high as 100 percent in some bat colonies. It's known to infect seven types of hibernating bats, including two that are endangered, and biologists say it may eventually threaten at least half of all North American bat species. "We are saddened by the discovery of WNS in Illinois," says Jeremy Coleman, national WNS coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in a statement released Thursday. "We will continue to work with our partners to address this devastating disease and work toward conservation of bat species in North America." The illness had already been discovered west of Illinois last year, both in Iowa and Missouri, so it was likely just a matter of time until it filled in the gap. And since the new cases were found in four different counties scattered across north-central, southwestern and far southern Illinois, there's a good chance it's been hiding there for a while. "Although its arrival was anticipated, the documented spread of WNS into Illinois is discouraging news, mainly because there is no known way to prevent or stop this disease in its tracks," says Joe Kath of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "Pest-control services provided by insect-eating bats in the United States likely save the U.S. agricultural industry several billion dollars a year, and yet insectivorous bats are among the most overlooked, economically important, non-domesticated animals in North America." Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#113 http://www.sj-r.com/archive/x1037517632/Fatal-bat-disease-spreads-to-Illinois Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#112 http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/a-bat-fungus-on-the-march/ A deadly bat fungus has spread to three caves in Cumberland Gap National Historic Park in Virginia, park officials have confirmed. Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#110 http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/Bat-experts-caution-about-threat-of-white-nose-syndrome/-/9153728/18427268/-/8kvjnt/-/index.html In order to prepare, the Bureau of Land Management met with experts on Tuesday night to try to protect New Mexico's bats from white-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome has killed 5 million bats nationwide, but the disease does not harm humans.Read more: http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/Bat-experts-caution-about-threat-of-white-nose-syndrome/-/9153728/18427268/-/8kvjnt/-/index.html#ixzz2M7CeAIhp Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#111 http://www.therolladailynews.com/article/20130128/NEWS/130128976/-1/sports Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#109 http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/erratic-bat-behavior-at-great-smoky-park-may-be-linked-to-lethal-syndrome/2013/01/20/1be8fc8e-60d1-11e2-b05a-605528f6b712_story.html In the dead of winter, bats should be in a deep sleep. But at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, theyre out and about, flying erratically in many cases, acting crazy.Out of nowhere, theyve launched their mouse-sized bodies at unsuspecting visitors, forcing people to shoo them off with fishing poles, walking sticks and their bare hands. At least one bat flew smack into a trail walkers forehead. Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#108 http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-12/what-white-nose-syndrome-bats-has-common-aids The millions of bats succumbing to a deadly fungal infection across the country will leave massive ecological holes in their wake--prime predators of insects are disappearing, for one, and cave flora and fauna that depend on bats could be in danger of collapsing. But research on the animals immune responses could have one silver lining: helping AIDS patients.Biologists think white nose syndrome kills bats in a couple of ways--first, by covering their faces and wings in a powdery white fungus that makes them itchy, causing them to wake up from hibernation and burn their precious fat reserves. Second, it damages the animals sensitive wing membranes, which causes system-wide injury that is still not totally understood. That also hurts their ability to fly.Bat immune systems try to fight off the fungus, and apparently the system goes into overdrive when hibernating bats wake up. This is called immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, or IRIS. It has never been seen before in the wild, and has only been observed once--in AIDS patients.In people with AIDS, the immune system goes into overdrive after antiretroviral drugs suppress HIV infection and restore a person's health. The immune system then tries to fight off any other underlying infection. In bats, this happens after the animals wake from their winter torpor. During that stage, the immune system is suppressed, which allows the Geomyces destructans fungus to colonize the bats' skin in the first place. In both cases, the awakened immune system goes out of control and attacks healthy tissue as well as infected cells.Carol Meteyer, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, noticed the phenomenon while studying sick bats in Wisconsin. Its cellular suicide. The immune system comes out in a huge wave, going out to those areas of infection and kills everything," she told the Washington Post. Now she and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health aim to study the similarity between bat and human immune systems, potentially learning how IRIS works in people.The hypothesis about bat IRIS was published last month in the journal Virulence. Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#100 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121218094216.htm Researchers have found that the organism that causes deadly white-nose syndrome persists in caves long after it has killed the bats in those caves.A study just published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology shows that the fungus can survive in soil for months, even years, after the bats have departed.This is not good news for the bat population, says lead author Jeff Lorch, a research associate in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "We have found that caves and mines, which remain cool year-round, can serve as reservoirs for the fungus, so bats entering previously infected sites may contract white-nose syndrome from that environment. This represents an important and adverse transmission route.""This certainly presents additional challenges," adds David Blehert, a microbiologist at the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, who also led the study. "It's important that we have completed this foundational work that further implicates the environment in the ecology of this infectious disease. We can now collectively move forward to address this problem."The fungus cannot grow at warm temperatures, so scientists have long wondered how it survived over the summer. The new study sheds light on this mystery, proving that the fungus can survive over the summer in the cool soil of the caves and mines where bats hibernate.The researchers analyzed soil samples collected during the summer (when bats were absent) from 14 caves and mines in which bats had been observed with white-nose syndrome, and they found viable samples of the fungus, called Geomyces destructans.White-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats in at least seven species since it was first detected in North America in 2006. From an epicenter in New York state, it has spread into New England, West Virginia, Missouri and Canada north of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The disease has not yet appeared in Wisconsin.Although the new study did not assess how effectively the soil-borne samples could cause disease in bats, they probably can, says Lorch. "Other studies, along with some of our current work, show that isolates we have found in North America are genetically identical, so there is no reason to think the fungus found in the soil would be less virulent. However, it would require additional experimentation to confirm that."The study reveals the challenges involved in repopulating caves after bats have been wiped out by white-nose syndrome, says Lorch. "A lot of people were wondering whether the bats would eventually recolonize caves they had disappeared from due to the disease. It now appears as though this may be a challenge for susceptible bats because the pathogen is living in the soil."The results also support current disease management recommendations to limit access to caves, Lorch adds. "Some of the states have put restrictions on entry into caves or require those entering to decontaminate gear and clothing to prevent transmission. We cultured the fungus from 200 milligrams of soil, and that amount could easily be transported in the tread of a boot. So even if a cave does not have bats, there is still a risk that people going in could spread the fungus."Based upon analysis of samples from 55 bat hibernation sites, the scientists also found that the fungus was present in caves and mines where the disease had been found, but not in disease-free sites. Therefore, this study supports other ongoing work indicating that G. destructans is probably not native to North America but rather was introduced from Europe.Still to be determined is why a few bats survive white-nose syndrome. "We have documented the recovery of some bats, and we might speculate that this has to do with the environmental conditions in which the bats chose to hibernate," says Blehert, who is also an honorary associate in the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.When bats hibernate at near-freezing conditions, fungal growth is much slower than at temperatures just a few degrees warmer, and it could be that the survivors have the habit of hibernating in colder conditions.This might be good news for the bats, Blehert adds, because if inherited, this behavior could eventually protect some American bats from the fatal fungus. Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#99 http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346782/description/Immune__disease_an_added_blow_to_fungus-ridden_bat_populations Some North American bats leave hibernation with little sign of the devastating effects of white-nose syndrome, a fungal epidemic that has claimed the lives of some 5 million bats since it first emerged in winter 2005. But even though those bats seem to have survived the fungal disease, their immune systems reactivate and can then inexplicably and devastatingly kick into overdrive, a new study reports.These animals appear to have what immunologists call immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, or IRIS. The discovery of the condition in bats is the first potential example of IRIS that has ever been seen outside a human patient, observes wildlife pathologist Carol Meteyer of the U.S. Geological Survey in Madison, Wis. Until now, most IRIS victims have been HIV patients treated with medicines to restore flagging immune systems. Together with Daniel Barber and Judith Mandl at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Md., Meteyer describes the bats IRIS-like disease in the Nov. 15 Virulence.Animals afflicted with white-nose syndrome acquire the infection during hibernation, when their bodies chill to near-freezing and their immune systems effectively go into suspended animation. Despite its name, the disease appears to kill its hosts by eroding large patches of tissue in the animals wings. Geomyces destructans, the infecting fungus (SN: 9/10/11, p. 22), then begins filling in those divots with its own cells, Meteyer says. Stricken bats become weak, dehydrated and eventually become unable to fly. IRIS seems to shows up in bats that have largely evaded this scenario. Instead, these animals emerge from hibernation with normal-looking wings. But as their body temperature warms back up and their immune systems reactivate, their health takes a nosedive. Within days, dark patches riddle their wings. The patches point to where immune cells known as neutrophils have begun unleashing an inflammatory assault against the fungus theyve been summoned to eradicate. Over the next two weeks, these and other immune cells encapsulate the fungal patches, walling them inside scablike structures. Soon the scabs fall away, leaving the wings with huge holes. Flight becomes limited, if not impossible.The first signs of this unusual condition emerged in May 2008, Meteyer recalls: I was being sent bats found in front yards. They could not fly. She quickly dismissed her initial suspicion, rabies, after examining the first animals wings. Under microscopy, I could see the wings were tattered with holes. Further probing would link inflammation to this damage.Animals exhibiting IRIS can be nursed back to health in the lab with food, drink and warmth, Meteyer has shown (SN Online: 10/26/11). But in the wild, its doubtful such animals stand a chance, she says. If the fungal disease doesnt kill them outright, IRIS will. They just face this double whammy. What her team describes in its new paper reflects what appears to happen in HIV patients, says Samuel Shelburne, an infectious diseases physician at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Although HIV depresses their immune systems, these patients can acquire other types of infections such as from bacteria that they initially dont fight. But then when drug therapy reconstitutes that immunity, these people can develop an overwhelming inflammatory response.Bats might therefore offer an animal system in which this situation develops, he says, so that researchers can probe why only some HIV patients develop the devastating IRIS backlash. In fact, Meteyer notes, her colleagues at NIH hope to test just that using colonies of hibernating Mexican free-tail bats. This species, unlike those naturally affected by white-nose syndrome, survives well in captivity and is not endangered. Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#101 http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/story/2012-06-26/bat-deaths-white-nose-syndrome/55846712/1 A plague killing bats nationwide shows no sign of slowing, say biologists whose winter cave surveys indicate the "white-nose syndrome" that decimates bat populations is still spreading. Starting from one cave in New York state in 2006, the fungal infection that preys on hibernating bats, has killed more than 5.5 million bats in 19 states. The bat deaths could cost farmers $3.7 billion in losses, biologists estimate, given the flying mammals eat insect crop pests, such as beetles, and pollinate plants.Until recently, most of the losses took place in Northeastern states and eastern Canadian provinces. But over the winter, the syndrome struck bats in Missouri, as far west as it has been documented, and in Alabama, as far south. Two weeks ago, wildlife officials announced that signs of the fungus had turned up in a cave in a new state: Iowa."Epidemics are hard to predict, but we would certainly expect it to spread farther," says Jonathan Sleeman of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center, speaking at a now-annual symposium on white-nose syndrome held this month in Madison, Wis. "We are definitely seeing the syndrome in new states, and new (bat) species."In May, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists announced the seventh kind of bat spotted with the fungus: gray bats, an endangered species found in Tennessee caves.Another endangered bat, the Indiana bat, has suffered large losses in previous years. There are 25 hibernating U.S. bat species, four of them endangered, and all likely susceptible to the syndrome.White-nose syndrome gets its name from the white fungus that grows on the face, wings and bodies of hibernating bats. Afflicted bats lose fat stores and behave oddly, flying outside caves during winter hibernation months in search of food, and clustering near cold cave and mine entrances.Over the past winter, wildlife experts reported from the symposium, more points about the syndrome have become clear:The fungus appears identical to one seen on bats in much smaller colonies found in Europe, and spreads bat-to-bat during hibernation.Some bats, banded in studies, survive several years after an infection, raising hopes that the syndrome isn't inevitably deadly.A few bat species, such as Virginia Big-Eared bats, appear not to decline in great numbers despite infections."We know the disease is quickly spreading," USGS biologist David Blehert says. "The question is how will the disease manifest itself in bats as it spreads to new areas."So far, cases in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri have not been attended by the huge die-offs of bat colonies (around 90%), for example, that have occurred in some cases in Northeastern caves. One area of research, Blehert says, is into whether different cave humidity levels, or simply fewer bat hibernation months, prevent the fungus from wreaking as much havoc on bats in more temperate states."We're seeing colonies in Northeastern states where the fungus is endemic (common), with much fewer bats now, similar to Europe," says Jeremy Coleman of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "One question is whether they will stay at those low levels, or could we see a large population rebound?" His response to his own question: "Certainly not in our lifetime," because of low reproduction rates in bats.More likely, the fungus has wiped out some of North America's signature huge bat colonies forever, Blehert suggests. "I don't think we are going to see them develop some sort of immune system defense against the fungus." Instead, bats in small colonies, as in Europe, seem not to suffer its ravages. Their small numbers don't provide the fungus enough sustenance to ramp up its attacks as it does feeding off tens of thousands of bats in larger colonies, he says.Where will the spread of the syndrome end? Likely at the Pacific Ocean, Blehert says. "These are flying mammals that meet in the wild and return to different caves. They fly over rivers and they fly over mountains," he says. Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#102 http://www.fws.gov/northeast/feature_archive/Feature.cfm?id=794592078 On the verge of another season of winter hibernating bat surveys, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and partners estimate that at least 5.7 million to 6.7 million bats have now died from white-nose syndrome. Biologists expect the disease to continue to spread. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#98 http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=IFW_News&id=247640&v=article Media release from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#97 http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/74002/title/Fungus_strikes_but_doesnt_kill_European_bats White-nose syndrome, a fungus spreading like wildfire through hibernating North American bats, has just been reported in 12 European countries. But unlike the American epidemic, which typically kills 75 percent or more of exposed bats, the European infection has not been associated with mortality. Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#96 http://fw.ky.gov/newsrelease.asp?nid=943 FRANKFORT, Ky. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have detected the presence of white-nose syndrome in a bat residing in Trigg County, located in southwest Kentucky. A suspect little brown bat from a cave in Trigg County, about 30 miles southeast of Paducah, was submitted to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) in Athens, Ga., which confirmed the disease. White-nose syndrome was first detected in New York state in 2006. It has since killed more than one million cave-dwelling bats in eastern North America. Mortality rates of bats have reached almost 100 percent in multi-year infected caves. With confirmation of the syndrome in Kentucky, a total of 16 states - mostly in the eastern U.S. - and three Canadian provinces have now been confirmed infected. This is likely the most significant disease threat to wildlife Kentucky has ever seen, said Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commissioner, Dr. Jonathan Gassett. It would be professionally irresponsible to take no action to stop or slow this disease. Bats are an important part of our natural environment, acting as pollinators and consuming mosquitoes and other insect pests across the landscape. We plan to aggressively manage this threat as it occurs in Kentucky in order to protect and conserve our bat populations. Anticipating the arrival of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in Kentucky, biologists have taken exhaustive measures to limit its spread. We have had a long-term partnership to address white-nose syndrome in Kentucky since it was first discovered in New York state, said Mike Armstrong, USFWS Regional WNS Coordinator. Now that it is confirmed here, we will continue to support the state in their research and management to limit the spread as much as we can. WNS is known to be transmitted primarily from bat to bat, but fungal spores may be inadvertently carried to caves by humans on clothing and caving gear. Both state and federal agencies took pro-active measures to limit potential human movement of the disease. These measures included increased education on decontamination procedures, surveillance, monitoring and cave closures on private, state and federal lands. All measures were included in the Kentucky WNS Response Plan developed in 2009. Kentucky was the first state to develop a response plan to address WNS both before and after its arrival in the state. Almost 100 hibernacula were checked throughout Kentucky during the winter. The Trigg County cave was one of five revisited by scientists upon confirmation of WNS in Ohio. These hibernacula were rechecked due to their known proximity to infected sites in adjacent states. The privately-owned Trigg County cave is used as a hibernaculum by six species, including the endangered Indiana bat, and is a summer roost for the endangered gray bats. Surrounding caves were checked within a 16-mile radius; no additional infected sites were found. Measures were taken to limit the spread of WNS beyond the Trigg County cave that is regularly used as a hibernaculum by more than 2,000 bats. These included removing and euthanizing 60 highly suspect little brown bats and tri-colored bats, as they were not expected to survive. Bats collected will be used to provide critical information to researchers. Under the direction of Kentucky Fish and Wildlifes veterinarian, Dr. Aaron Hecht, staff from SCWDS collected samples from the bats. A better understanding of the disease process will enhance our ability to respond to outbreaks, said Hecht. Spores of Geomyces destructans, the fungus associated with WNS, are known to reside in the environment. Physical barriers were strategically affixed within the cave to prevent bats from roosting in areas known to harbor infected individuals. These barriers will not alter the climate or restrict passageways used by bats. Scientists are attempting to reduce the possibility of other bats from coming in direct contact with the fungal spores and becoming infected. White-nose syndrome does not affect people. Pest-control services provided by insect-eating bats in the United States likely save the U.S. agricultural industry at least $3 billion a year, and yet insectivorous bats are among the most overlooked economically important, non-domesticated animals in North America, according to an analysis published in this weeks Science magazine Policy Forum. (Source: USGS) For more information about white-Nose syndrome, visit these websites: www.fw.ky.govwww.fws.gov/WhiteNoseSyndrome www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/sets/72157626485081164 www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2743 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#92 http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-me-bat-plague-20110403,0,5891416.story&ct=ga&cad=CAcQARgAIAAoATAAOABA5-jd7ARIAVgBYgJlbg&cd=G_AqVAWqoIU&usg=AFQjCNF4jD9kMg-kZ0nqsh6lDzKyP79O8Q Reporting from Ruidoso, N.M. More than 100 hibernating bats hang from the vaulted ceiling of a chilly gallery in central New Mexico's Fort Stanton Cave, seemingly unaware of the lights from helmet lanterns sweeping over their gargoyle-like faces.The mood is heavy with anxiety as biologists Marikay Ramsey and Debbie Buecher search for signs of white-nose syndrome, a novel, infectious and lethal cold-loving fungus that digests the skin and wings of hibernating bats and smudges their muzzles with a powdery white growth. Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#91 http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2743 Pest-control services provided by insect-eating bats in the United States likely save the U.S. agricultural industry at least $3 billion a year, and yet insectivorous bats are among the most overlooked economically important, non-domesticated animals in North America, according to an analysis published in this weeks Science magazine Policy Forum. "People often ask why we should care about bats, said Paul Cryan, a U.S. Geological Survey research scientist and one of the studys authors. This analysis suggests that bats are saving us big bucks by gobbling up insects that eat or damage our crops. It is obviously beneficial that insectivorous bats are patrolling the skies at night above our fields and forests these bats deserve help." The value of the pest-control services to agriculture provided by bats in the U.S. alone range from a low of $3.7 billion to a high of $53 billion a year, estimated the studys authors, scientists from the University of Pretoria (South Africa), USGS, University of Tennessee and Boston University. They also warned that noticeable economic losses to North American agriculture could occur in the next 4 to 5 years as a result of emerging threats to bat populations. Bats eat tremendous quantities of flying pest insects, so the loss of bats is likely to have long-term effects on agricultural and ecological systems, said Justin Boyles, a researcher with the University of Pretoria and the lead author of the study. Consequently, not only is the conservation of bats important for the well-being of ecosystems, but it is also in the best interest of national and international economies. A single little brown bat, which has a body no bigger than an adults thumb, can eat 4 to 8 grams (the weight of about a grape or two) of insects each night, the authors wrote. Although this may not sound like much, it adds up the loss of the one million bats in the Northeast has probably resulted in between 660 and 1320 metric tons of insects no longer being eaten each year by bats in the region. Additionally, because the agricultural value of bats in the Northeast is small compared with other parts of the country, such losses could be even more substantial in the extensive agricultural regions in the Midwest and the Great Plains where wind-energy development is booming and the fungus responsible for white-nose syndrome was recently detected, said Tom Kunz, a professor of ecology at Boston University, another co-author. Although these estimates include the costs of pesticide applications that are not needed because of the pest-control services bats provide, Boyles and his colleagues said they did not account for the detrimental effects of pesticides on ecosystems nor the economic benefits of bats suppressing pest insects in forests, both of which may be considerable. Bat populations are at risk in some areas of the country as a result of the emerging disease of white-nose syndrome. The loss of bats to white-nose syndrome has largely occurred during the past 4 years, after the disease first appeared in upstate New York. Since then, the fungus thought to cause white-nose syndrome has spread southward and westward and has now been found in 16 states and 3 Canadian provinces. Bat declines in the Northeast, the most severely affected region in the U.S. thus far, have exceeded 70 percent. Populations of at least one species, the little brown bat, have declined so precipitously that scientists expect the species to disappear from the region within the next 20 years. Scientists are also concerned with the potential for losses of certain species of migratory bats at wind-energy facilities. By one estimate, published by Kunz and colleagues in 2007, about 33,000 to 111,000 bats will die each year by 2020 just in the mountainous region of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands from direct collisions with wind turbines as well as lung damage caused by pressure changes bats experience when flying near moving turbine blades. The issue raised by the authors is that the impacts on bat populations from white nose syndrome and wind turbines are just beginning to interact and might result in economic consequences. We hope that our analysis gets people thinking more about the value of bats and why their conservation is important, said Gary McCracken, a University of Tennessee professor and co-author of the analysis. The bottom line is that the natural pest-control services provided by bats save farmers a lot of money. The authors conclude that solutions to reduce threats to bat populations may be possible in the coming years, but that such work is most likely to be driven by public support that will require a wider awareness of the benefits of insectivorous bats. The article, Economic importance of bats in agriculture, appears in the April 1 edition of Science. Authors are J.G. Boyles, P. Cryan, G. McCracken and T. Kunz. Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#94 http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/mar/28/deadly-white-nose-syndrome-threatens-bat/ Ohio bats are happily hibernating, but a fatal syndrome targeting the winged mammals could soon strike.Its knocking on Ohios door right now, said Greg Turner, an endangered-mammal specialist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Lawrence County has four confirmed sites just miles from the Ohio border. Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#89 http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewStory/story_ID/21900/d/03292011 Maryland Department of Natural Resources biologists have confirmed that White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has been found in an abandoned mine complex in western Washington County. The mine complex serves as an important bat hibernacula, or bat hibernation site. WNS is a malady causing unprecedented bat mortality across the eastern United States. Affected bats display a white fungal growth on their muzzles or other exposed skin. Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#90 http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=182004 Wildlife officials have sounded the all-clear for white-nose syndrome in Illinois for this year, but after several bats tested positive for white-nose syndrome in south central Indiana last month, its just a matter of time before the deadly fungus will spread to the Land of Lincoln. Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/index.jsp#88