Re: WNS Confirmed in Alabama
Posted: Mar 14, 2012 6:29 pm
The way I always understood it, "suspect" meant that they found a bit of fungus on a bat, but the bat wasn't noticeably sick or covered in fungus and the fungus hadn't started degrading the skin/wings. I seem to remember that Oklahoma bat just hat a bit of fungus on its wing but otherwise had no signs of being sick or having any wing damage (I can't remember for sure, though). "Suspect" also means nobody was able to collect a very suspicious looking bat for lab tests, as was the case in Camp's Gulf. The bats in Russell had quite a lot of fungus on them (photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/se ... 976865221/).
I got a copy of the lab report. Here are the parts of interest:
CASE HISTORY: A hibernaculum in Russell Cave National Monument was being surveyed by William Stone
(Alabama A&M University), Larry Johnson (National Park Service) and Steve Thomas (National Park Service) on
March 1, 2012. Approximately 700 bats were present and an estimated 70 were affected by white material
consistent with fungus, on muzzle, ears, wings, tail and/or feet. The affected bats were all tricolored bats (P.
subflavus) except for one northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) which appeared to have a light growth of
fungus. Two tri-colored bats and a punch biopsy (Case WNS12-58) from the northern long-eared bat were
submitted.
FINAL DIAGNOSIS: White-nose syndrome (WNS), confirmed
HISTOPATHOLOGY (W12-71 and W12-72): Positive for WNS. The patagia of both bats had light growth of thin,
fungal hyphae with parallel walls and curved conidia characteristic of Geomyces destructans. The fungus invaded
the stratum corneum but did not form larger, discoid colonies as described in many advanced cases of disease.
The muzzle of bat A (slide W12-71) was infected by G. destructans with invasion of hair follicles and
sebaceous glands. Sections of muzzle from bat B (slide W12-72) were not infected with the fungus but the
distribution can be patchy and sampling error is possible.
PCR: Pending.
CULTURE: Pending.
COMMENTS: White-nose syndrome was confirmed by histopathology. This is necessary to demonstrate active
infection of the skin as opposed to contamination of the skin surface by spores or other fungal elements. Fungal
morphology and patterns of skin invasion were diagnostic for white-nose syndrome.
A positive PCR assay or culture results indicate the presence of the fungus but cannot confirm the disease
as would be indicated by invasion of the skin.
I got a copy of the lab report. Here are the parts of interest:
CASE HISTORY: A hibernaculum in Russell Cave National Monument was being surveyed by William Stone
(Alabama A&M University), Larry Johnson (National Park Service) and Steve Thomas (National Park Service) on
March 1, 2012. Approximately 700 bats were present and an estimated 70 were affected by white material
consistent with fungus, on muzzle, ears, wings, tail and/or feet. The affected bats were all tricolored bats (P.
subflavus) except for one northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) which appeared to have a light growth of
fungus. Two tri-colored bats and a punch biopsy (Case WNS12-58) from the northern long-eared bat were
submitted.
FINAL DIAGNOSIS: White-nose syndrome (WNS), confirmed
HISTOPATHOLOGY (W12-71 and W12-72): Positive for WNS. The patagia of both bats had light growth of thin,
fungal hyphae with parallel walls and curved conidia characteristic of Geomyces destructans. The fungus invaded
the stratum corneum but did not form larger, discoid colonies as described in many advanced cases of disease.
The muzzle of bat A (slide W12-71) was infected by G. destructans with invasion of hair follicles and
sebaceous glands. Sections of muzzle from bat B (slide W12-72) were not infected with the fungus but the
distribution can be patchy and sampling error is possible.
PCR: Pending.
CULTURE: Pending.
COMMENTS: White-nose syndrome was confirmed by histopathology. This is necessary to demonstrate active
infection of the skin as opposed to contamination of the skin surface by spores or other fungal elements. Fungal
morphology and patterns of skin invasion were diagnostic for white-nose syndrome.
A positive PCR assay or culture results indicate the presence of the fungus but cannot confirm the disease
as would be indicated by invasion of the skin.