by PYoungbaer » Apr 18, 2017 9:25 am
I would agree with Ohiocaver in questioning the statement about studies showing that closures have helped curtail WNS outbreaks. Having read most of the WNS studies over the years, I can't recall any that reached that conclusion. On the contrary, there are many, many incidents of closed caves becoming infected. This evidence is overwhelming, and has led to the consensus conclusion that bats are the primary transmitters of the disease. In other words, cave closures have done nothing to prevent the spread of the disease.
There is still no evidence, to my knowledge, of people transmitting the disease. If anyone knows of a published study to the contrary, please post a citation. Thank you.
That said, seasonal cave closures during hibernation can definitely assist in the recovery of affected bat populations, and we should, as always, avoid disturbing hibernating bats.