by PYoungbaer » Oct 13, 2011 11:32 am
As the article states, Geomyces destructans - but not WNS - was found on several Missouri bats in 2010, and one Oklahoma bat in 2010, but nothing in 2011.
That was a hopeful sign, but personally, I agree that it's far too soon to declare Missouri safe. It is still very much on the front line of WNS progression, particularly with the documented confirmation of WNS in more Tennessee sites, plus Kentucky and Indiana last winter.
With no data on bat mortalities forthcoming, it's very difficult to say whether or not the disease has slowed or is increasing. Yes, there were more individual sites and states added to the WNS list last year, but there is no uniform collection of population data despite our efforts to get that done. This is an active and ongoing discussion, and very necessary to appropriate advise management, policy, and funding decisions NOT in a vacuum.
I would urge anyone and everyone to keep asking for this data. Thank you.