WNS Confirmed in Missouri

[PYoungbaer]

Three cases of bat disease discovered in Missouri
MDC confirms White-Nose Syndrome in bats from two caves in Lincoln County.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently received confirmation that a deadly disease in bats called White-Nose Syndrome? (WNS) has been found in three bats from two caves in Lincoln County. The name describes a white fungus, Geomyces destructans, typically found on the faces and wings of infected bats. WNS spreads mainly through bat-to-bat contact and has not been found to infect humans or other animals.

WNS was confirmed in a little brown bat from one public cave and in two tri-colored bats from a second public cave north of St. Louis by the U. S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis. The specific names and locations of the caves are not being disclosed to help prevent human disturbance of remaining bats in the caves. The two caves are closed to public access.

Disturbing bats in caves while they roost or hibernate can increase their stress and further weaken their health, said MDC Bat Biologist Tony Elliott.

Evidence of the fungus that causes WNS was first detected in Missouri in April 2010 on a little brown bat found in a privately owned cave in Pike County. In May 2010, evidence of the fungus was detected on five federally endangered gray bats and on a northern long-eared bat netted outside a public cave in Shannon County. The three bats with WNS in Lincoln County are the first confirmed cases in Missouri of the actual disease.

Elliot explained that the earlier detected cases of the fungus means the bats had contact with the fungus that causes WNS, but may or may not have been infected with the WNS disease. He added that these first confirmed cases of the disease mean the bats have WNS and the disease is present in Missouri and likely to spread.

We have worked closely with the Missouri Department of Conservation to prepare for the arrival of White-Nose Syndrome in Missouri, said U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region Regional WNS Coordinator Rich Geboy. Now that we have confirmed it is here, we will continue to work with MDC and our other partners in Missouri to research and manage the disease.

MDC has been working with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and USFWS, along with conservation groups and private cave owners to address the threat of WNS. Efforts include restricting access to most publicly-owned caves that contain bats and educating the public about the value of bats and the threat of WNS.

While many caves on public lands that house bats have been closed to public access in response to the threat of White-Nose Syndrome, Missouri's numerous show caves remain open as great places for people to discover nature by learning about the value of bats and the unique ecosystems of cave environments, Elliott said.

Approximately 74 percent of the more than 6,300 caves in Missouri are privately owned. Visitors to private caves are asked to check with landowners before entering caves, and to use USFWS decontamination protocols before and after visits to reduce the risk for accidental spread of the fungus. Information on these protocols is available at [url]fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome/pdf/WNSDecontaminationProtocol_v012511.pdf.[/url]

The WNS fungus thrives in cool, damp conditions found in many caves, which are also ideal hibernation and roosting sites for many bat species. Bats with WNS exhibit unusual behavior such as flying outside and clustering near entrances of caves and mines during the day in cold winter months when they should be hibernating. This activity uses up stored fat reserves needed to get them through the winter, and they may freeze or starve to death.

USFWS biologists and partners estimate that at least 5.5 million bats have now died from the disease, which continues to spread. WNS is decimating bat populations across eastern North America, with mortality reaching up to 100 percent at many sites. First documented in New York in 2007, the disease has spread quickly into 19 states and four Canadian provinces.

Bats provide tremendous value as natural pest control for farms and forests, and also play an essential role in helping to control insects that can spread disease to people.

Missouri is home to at least 12 species of bats, Elliott explained. They are our front-line defense against many insect pests including some moths, certain beetles and mosquitoes. Missouri's 775,000 gray bats alone eat more than 223 billion bugs a year, or about 540 tons.

He added that bats are long-lived but slow-reproducing animals with most species having an average lifespan of about 15 years and giving birth usually to only one pup each year.

"Bats also play a vital role in cave ecosystems by providing nutrients for other cave life through their droppings, or guano," Elliott said. "Bats are also food for other animals such as snakes and owls."

Elliott cautioned that people should not handle any bats, and should contact their local MDC office or conservation agent if they find dead bats or see bats flying outside during the day during cold winter months when they typically would be roosting or hibernating.

More information on WNS is available at:
[url]fws.gov/WhiteNoseSyndrome/[/url]
[url]nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/white-nose_syndrome/[/url]
[url]fort.usgs.gov/wns/[/url]
[url]nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/white-nose_syndrome/wns_definitions.jsp[/url]

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Server limitations prevent the inclusion of photos as attachments to MDC News/All Outdoors media releases. Images of bats with White-Nose Syndrome are available at http://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/three-cases- ... d-missouri

To follow MDC on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, or through RSS feeds, visit mdc.mo.gov and click on the icons at the bottom of the page.



Joe Jerek
News Services Coordinator
Missouri Department of Conservation
Joe.Jerek@mdc.mo.gov or 573-522-4115 x3362
Discover Nature athttp://www.mdc.mo.gov

[PYoungbaer]

P.S. FYI, Lincoln County borders the Mississippi River, about midway North to South on the Illinois border.

[John Lovaas]

-and shares its northern border with Pike County, where Gd was detected in 2010.

[PYoungbaer]

Lots of media coverage on the Missouri WNS cases. Here's a piece from the River Front Times:

"And then there's the problem of cave closures. WNS can affix to our clothing and boots, so if you're a frequent spelunker, you're also a potential delivery vector for the disease. Restricting access to Missouri's publicly-owned caves is often the most secure way of containing the disease. For our privately-owned caves, the MDC has established a decontamination protocol for cavers that is quite thorough. That method is detailed here; it requires personal responsibility on the part of the caver that some may not be willing to exercise. But the future of one of our natural resources is at stake."

Sigh. While restricting access to caves in Missouri or elsewhere won't do anything to contain the disease - witness the Missouri examples themselves, which were in closed caves - it is a good time to re-emphasize cleaning and disinfecting gear, particularly here at the WNS front line.

And speaking of decon protocols, we are still waiting for the USFWS to release the new version. They've made numerous announcements for well over half a year about them coming out, including telling a Congressional briefing a couple weeks ago they were coming out the following Monday - then Wednesday, then...........

[Teresa]

Lots of media coverage on the Missouri WNS cases. Here's a piece from the River Front Times:

"And then there's the problem of cave closures. WNS can affix to our clothing and boots, so if you're a frequent spelunker, you're also a potential delivery vector for the disease. Restricting access to Missouri's publicly-owned caves is often the most secure way of containing the disease. For our privately-owned caves, the MDC has established a decontamination protocol for cavers that is quite thorough. That method is detailed here; it requires personal responsibility on the part of the caver that some may not be willing to exercise. But the future of one of our natural resources is at stake."

MDC doesn't "privately-own" any caves. They are a government agency. Also...74% of Missouri's caves are *really* privately owned...controlling access to 26% (which is only effective amongst the organized cavers, not the general public and very imperfectly enforced) isn't the answer.

[BrianC]

Lots of media coverage on the Missouri WNS cases. Here's a piece from the River Front Times:

"And then there's the problem of cave closures. WNS can affix to our clothing and boots, so if you're a frequent spelunker, you're also a potential delivery vector for the disease. Restricting access to Missouri's publicly-owned caves is often the most secure way of containing the disease. For our privately-owned caves, the MDC has established a decontamination protocol for cavers that is quite thorough. That method is detailed here; it requires personal responsibility on the part of the caver that some may not be willing to exercise. But the future of one of our natural resources is at stake."

MDC doesn't "privately-own" any caves. They are a government agency. Also...74% of Missouri's caves are *really* privately owned...controlling access to 26% (which is only effective amongst the organized cavers, not the general public and very imperfectly enforced) isn't the answer.

As usual, the media is just stating what they have been told by the USFWS, that " cavers can spread WNS" We have lost the media battle long ago! There is no next step!

[PYoungbaer]

Exactly. Blanket cave closures don't do anything to stop the spread of WNS.

All they do is stop responsible cavers from being around. There are numerous examples from around the country where unaffiliated cavers, camp and church groups, and even school and college groups - folks outside the WNS communications circles - continue to go into caves. Vandalism, including breaking irreplaceable cave formations, and deaths and injuries have occurred in supposedly closed caves. It's unenforceable, and has unintended consequences, including economic.

We have always supported targeted closures - to protect bats, to protect archaeological and paleontological remains, to protect fragile cave formations, to protect other endangered cave species. That's never been the question. But, what about all the other scientific inquiry that needs to go on in caves? I look at Missouri and the hydrologic information from vast expanses of cave systems provides invaluable knowledge for surface planners and developers in terms of public water supply and wastewater and other pollutant management. What about the other biology? Many other species than bats live in caves, and Missouri is famous for cave fish, for example. What about geology? I'm aware of underground earthquake research going on in Missouri by the U.S. Geological Survey and NSS members that is important for the location of power plants, including nuclear power plants. Do bats trump everything? Please, some balance.

What about discovery and exploration - the foundation of all cave science? The agencies want to develop baseline information about their bat populations, but keep us out of them - the army of people who could actually help them get that work done efficiently. Makes no sense to me.

And recreation. We are also concerned about the general public understanding and appreciating the wonder and importance of caves and cave resources. Bats are definitely a part of that appreciation, but by no means all of it. That personal contact with caves is so important in building a long-term conservation ethic regarding caves. People need to see and appreciate them in the wild, and to use public recreational resources the same as hikers, climbers, boaters, anglers, hunters, and so on.

Tom Aley wrote an article a while back talking about the futility of public lands cave closures, likening it to trying to fight a forest fire by only putting up fire breaks on 25% of the fire line. It simply doesn't work, so why do it? It doesn't accomplish its goal, but it does cause a myriad of other problems.

Folks, let's decon on the front lines - it makes sense to be cautious. Let's isolate our gear - don't take anything from the WNS-affected sites and regions to those places not affected. Those are things we prudently can and should do. Blanket closures miss the mark in so many ways. It's time they end.

[BrianC]

The more and more states like Alabama and Missouri that start seeing real WNS hit, the more worried that those states become, and therefore the more possible stringent of restrictions we face. That darn cart really needed a horse before someone got in to ride it!

[Chads93GT]

While its in Missouri I have yet to find it in the three winter hibernaculum I know of in Ste Genevieve. Since I don't cave anywhere else and neither does our group it will be easy to monitor.

[LukeM]

Tom Aley wrote an article a while back talking about the futility of public lands cave closures, likening it to trying to fight a forest fire by only putting up fire breaks on 25% of the fire line. It simply doesn't work, so why do it? It doesn't accomplish its goal, but it does cause a myriad of other problems.

Peter, I would say a more accurate analogy would be putting up fire breaks on 25% of the fire line if fire breaks were almost totally ineffective. That is, after all, the reality of closures. We have a certain percentage of caves closed, and all the while the disease is being spread to closed caves.

[tncaver]

We have a certain percentage of caves closed, and all the while the disease is being spread to closed caves.

Amazing how WNS gets past gates and other closed caves. It almost seems as if the ones that are the most closed are the ones that get WNS
first.

[PYoungbaer]

tncaver,

Actually, I think this reflects long-standing research and monitoring bias. One of the issues we identified early on was that a baseline for common bats - not endangered ones - was pretty spotty. A lot of the state bat biologists have their usual places to go, so it's not surprising that that's where they find WNS first.

[tncaver]

tncaver,

Actually, I think this reflects long-standing research and monitoring bias. One of the issues we identified early on was that a baseline for common bats - not endangered ones - was pretty spotty. A lot of the state bat biologists have their usual places to go, so it's not surprising that that's where they find WNS first.

If you say so Peter.

[Teresa]

These are public land caves that were closed to open visitation in May of 2010. They are not "significant" bat caves, either to cavers or bats.

It is interesting that the caves in northern Missouri where both initial G.D, and now WNS have shown up are not "caver's caves." Far from it. If anyone has ever gone there on a repeated basis, it has been non-caver locals, and the general public. Rightly, those are considered low risk populations....just like most organized cavers who only cave in their local region.

[Teresa]

I'm depressed.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/co ... e5983.html

They put is every, and I mean EVERY piece of misinformation about bats they could find.

I tried to post as my Facebook persona to correct this, and they disallowed the post.

You just can't fight stupid.