Fungus serious threat to North American bats
Posted: Jan 8, 2008 12:27 am
Subject: White nose syndrome found in a new Cave
Greetings all,
Yesterday, Sunday January 5, 2008 Joe Armstrong (caver, and Northeastern Cave Conservancy board member), led me and Joe Okoniewski on a trip into Howes Cavern, Schoharie County NY to where he had seen a bat that he thought showed symptoms of the "white nose syndrome". We found the bat, and it appears that he was right (see attached photograph). This was the only clearly infected animal among the 77 bats observed. We saw no dead animals, although this is earlier in the winter than when the problem became evident last winter. What is disturbing is that no carcasses or infected animals were found here by Joe A. last year. Although his 2007 visit was very late in the hibernating season, it seems that some dead bats, or infected animals would have been observed had mortalities been common.
In short, it appears that the white nose problem did not end last winter, and it may be spreading to new hibernacula.
This could be an unpresidented threat to our wintering bat populations. The white of the "white nose syndrome" was identified by DOH as a genus of fungi (Fusarium sp.) that is common in the environment, and is typically associated with plants. It was associated with (but perhaps not the cause) of large scale mortality events in at least two, and probably four, Albany area caves last winter. Thousands of bats died ( 8,000+) representing a high percentages of the entire wintering populations known at these sites. The sites with the most reliable survey data (Hailes Cave and Schoharie Cavern) lost over half their populations last winter alone. Further, there was no evidence of Indiana bats during the 2007 Hailes Cave survey, a loss of roughly 700 animals. As far as I can recall this was the first Hailes cave winter survey since the 1930's in which this species was not observed.
It is important to note that the fungus has not yet been identified to species, or to its geographic origin. It is also important to note that, although the white nose is very obvious in the field, none of the major bat researchers in North America that we contacted (including all in the eastern half of the country and a sample from Europe) have ever seen it before. It seems reasonable to assume that the problem is a new one.
We are working with DEC pathology and DOH to identify the species, and origin of the fungus, to clearly identify the causes of the bat mortalities, and to develop a course of action to make sure that the problem does not spread. We are open to any and all ideas. We will be revisiting last years mortalities sites beginning early next week and will probably have an abundance of samples at that time for any type of suggested analysis.
I will be out of the office until Friday of this week, but can be contacted at 518-461-4632 (cell). Feel free to call at any time.
Thanks,
Al
Alan Hicks
Mammal Specialist
Endangered Species Unit
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway, 5th floor
Albany, NY 12233-4754
(518)-402-8854 Cell (518)-461-4632
Greetings all,
Yesterday, Sunday January 5, 2008 Joe Armstrong (caver, and Northeastern Cave Conservancy board member), led me and Joe Okoniewski on a trip into Howes Cavern, Schoharie County NY to where he had seen a bat that he thought showed symptoms of the "white nose syndrome". We found the bat, and it appears that he was right (see attached photograph). This was the only clearly infected animal among the 77 bats observed. We saw no dead animals, although this is earlier in the winter than when the problem became evident last winter. What is disturbing is that no carcasses or infected animals were found here by Joe A. last year. Although his 2007 visit was very late in the hibernating season, it seems that some dead bats, or infected animals would have been observed had mortalities been common.
In short, it appears that the white nose problem did not end last winter, and it may be spreading to new hibernacula.
This could be an unpresidented threat to our wintering bat populations. The white of the "white nose syndrome" was identified by DOH as a genus of fungi (Fusarium sp.) that is common in the environment, and is typically associated with plants. It was associated with (but perhaps not the cause) of large scale mortality events in at least two, and probably four, Albany area caves last winter. Thousands of bats died ( 8,000+) representing a high percentages of the entire wintering populations known at these sites. The sites with the most reliable survey data (Hailes Cave and Schoharie Cavern) lost over half their populations last winter alone. Further, there was no evidence of Indiana bats during the 2007 Hailes Cave survey, a loss of roughly 700 animals. As far as I can recall this was the first Hailes cave winter survey since the 1930's in which this species was not observed.
It is important to note that the fungus has not yet been identified to species, or to its geographic origin. It is also important to note that, although the white nose is very obvious in the field, none of the major bat researchers in North America that we contacted (including all in the eastern half of the country and a sample from Europe) have ever seen it before. It seems reasonable to assume that the problem is a new one.
We are working with DEC pathology and DOH to identify the species, and origin of the fungus, to clearly identify the causes of the bat mortalities, and to develop a course of action to make sure that the problem does not spread. We are open to any and all ideas. We will be revisiting last years mortalities sites beginning early next week and will probably have an abundance of samples at that time for any type of suggested analysis.
I will be out of the office until Friday of this week, but can be contacted at 518-461-4632 (cell). Feel free to call at any time.
Thanks,
Al
Alan Hicks
Mammal Specialist
Endangered Species Unit
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway, 5th floor
Albany, NY 12233-4754
(518)-402-8854 Cell (518)-461-4632