"Whiteout" explores the mystery behind the White Nose Syndrome epidemic. Since 2006, over six million bats have been infected and died from the disease. Though it is still a mystery that befuddles many scientists, it is increasingly evident that these...
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Yesterday was National Bat Appreciation Day. Observed just as the small mammals are beginning to emerge from hibernation, it’s a day that observes the critical role they play in the environment. The day didn’t just call for celebration however, but also concern. A news release sent out by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) stated that two little brown bats and one long-eared bat found within the state showed visible signs of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease that has killed more than 5.7 million bats since 2006. Iowa now makes the 26th state in which the disease has been found.
Lindsey Heffernan, PA Game Commission / Facebook
It wasn’t a surprise that WNS was found in Iowa. In 2011, DNR found signs of the fungus that causes the disease (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) and immediately took steps to delay the arrival of WNS by mandating seasonal cave closures and educating the public about ways to decontaminate so that they did not track the fungus to other sites. The fungus had also been found in 2012 and 2013 but no signs of it were found over the last two winters.
While the disease is not known to affect humans, pets or livestock, losing bats to the disease could be very detrimental to the environment and also agricultural crops. Bats keep ecosystems healthy by consuming insects such as beetles and moths that could otherwise cause a lot of damage. In some instances, they also eat mosquitoes which could cause disease in humans. Bats are also important pollinators across multiple landscapes.
WNS is a disease that affects bats while they are hibernating. It’s named after the white fungus that appears on and around bats’ muzzles, as well colonizing other parts of their bodies. The disease causes the bats to awake from hibernation way too early. They fly out of their caves, looking for food and end up using all of their fat stores meant for hibernation. Bats are unable to find food as a result of their interrupted hibernation and essentially starve to death. Some colonies have seen a 100 percent mortality rate and many species have been placed on the endangered species list.
The sad news is met with passionate workers inside of conservation efforts who collectively respond to the reports. Students and scientist are also on task to try to find solutions that will save the bats. For example, at the University of California, Santa Cruz, scientists have isolated bacteria from the skin of four different bats that seem to repel WNS. “The study identified six bacterial strains that inhibit the growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans . . . including two that suppressed fungal growth for more than 35 days,” reported the Mother Nature Network. Also, reported just yesterday, conservationists from Canada, Mexico and the United states banded together to sign a bat conservation Letter of Intent which aims to form a bond of cooperation that goes beyond any other efforts that have been set in place so far. Conservationist leaders from each of the three countries present aim to collaborate in a way that will promote conservation of bats across the continent.
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