Abemectin Possible Cause of WNS?

[tncaver]

Abemectin Possible Cause of WNS?

A light bulb went off in my head while watching a discovery channel show about
exterminating pests. One tool used by the exterminators was Abamectin. It is a
pesticide that keeps insects from digesting their food source. It can also cause devastating
death to bees and is highly dangerous to aquatic animals. In high concentrations it is dangerous
to mammals as well. Abemectin is made from avemectins. The avermectins are insecticidal and anthelmintic compounds derived from various, laboratory broths fermented by the soil bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis. Abamectin is a natural fermentation product of this bacterium.

This substance is difficult to detect and dissipates rapidly from soil and water as well
as animals in as little as two days. It is absorbed into plants which are then eaten by insects. Then the insects
may also be eaten by other animals, to include bats.

Symptoms of poisoning observed in laboratory animals include pupil dilation, vomiting, convulsions and/or tremors, and coma. At very high doses, the mammalian blood-brain barrier can be penetrated, causing symptoms of CNS depression such as incoordination, tremors, lethargy, excitation and pupil dilation. Very high doses have caused death from respiratory failure. When mice were fed 8 mg/kg/day, the highest dose tested, for 94 weeks, the males developed dermatitis and changes in blood formation in the spleen, while females exhibited tremors and weight loss.

A study in rats given 0.40 mg/kg/day of abamectin showed decreased lactation, increased stillbirths and an increased likelihood of producing unhealthy offspring, demonstrating a strong chance of similar effects in humans at high enough doses.

Abamectin is rapidly degraded in soil. At the soil surface, it is subject to rapid photodegradation, with half-lives of 8 and 21 hours or 1 day reported. When applied to the soil surface and not shaded, its soil half-life was about 1 week. Under dark, aerobic conditions, the soil half-life was 2 weeks to 2 months.

Abamectin is a white to yellowish crystalline powder It poses a slight fire hazard if exposed to heat or flame, and a fire and explosion hazard in the presence of strong oxidizers. It may burn but will not readily ignite. Avoid contact with strong oxidizers, excessive heat, sparks or open flame. Thermal decomposition may release toxic oxides of carbon Workers handling abamectin should wear goggles to prevent eye contact and protective clothing to prevent prolonged skin contact.

Physical Properties:
CAS #: Avermectin B1a - 65195-55-3; Avermectin B1b - 65195-56-4
Chemical name: avermectin B1a
Chemical Class/Use: avermectin acaricide/insecticide; macrocyclic lactone disaccharide isolated from the soil bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis.
Density: 1.16 at 21 degrees C
H20 solubility: practically insoluble; 7.8 ppb
Solubility in other solvents: soluble in acetone, methanol, isopropanol, chloroform and toluene
Melting point: 155-157 degrees C
Vapor pressure: negligible 1.5 x 10 to the minus 9 torr

Although considered a relatively safe and effective pesticide for insects, in larger doses
it can be toxic to bees, aquatic animals and mammals. Some of the side affects seem
similar to what WNS bats are experiencing.

!!!!!!!One particular aspect of interest, is Abamectin’s solubility in solvents such as acetone, methanol, isopropanol, and toluene. These are some of the ingredients that meth makers use when they are making meth in caves!!!!!!!

Abamectin is also known as Avermectin B1 and MK-936. Trade names include Abba, Affirm, Agri-Mek, Avid, Dynamec, Vertimec and Zephyr.

Here is a link with more details about Abemectin:
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/ex ... n-ext.html

I addition to Abemectin, it is interesting to note that the following pesticides were used in the Northeast to spray mosquitoes in an attempt to eliminate West Nile Virus(WNV). Fenthion, Malathion, Methoprene, Naled, Phenothrin, Permethrin, Resmethrin, Temephos. WNV is known to affect horses, dogs, birds and humans. I would think that bats would also be high on the list, because they eat mosquitoes that may have any of those pesticides in their systems. The top predators of mosquitoes likely ingest significant numbers of mosquitoes to develop an elevated amount of any pesticide in their system.
The side effects of these pesticides is likely unknown in bats due to a lack of data on pesticide ingestion and buildup
in the bodies of bats. Abemectin, although not targeting WNV is used on other insects and is absorbed by plants which are
eaten by insects (i.e. moths) which in turn are eaten by bats. Abemectin is undetectible in plants, animals, ground water and
soil in as little as 4 hours to 2 days. That would make it very difficult to detect although it's side affects could be cumulative
and show up long after evidence of the chemical is gone.

[Ralph E. Powers]

Maureen Handler had the same idea just a little while ago herself... thing is what to do about it?

[hewhocaves]

Its an interesting theorey. When it was just the NE, the argument for it was stronger as you could make a rough correlation between pesticide spraying for West Nile Virus and "rich neighborhoods" and dead bats. But that correlation becomes weaker when you add in the Penn and WV locations - I'm uncertain about the Va locations. And then you have to look at the larger picture - see how many places were sprayed that didn't have bats dying left and right.

Personally, I don't think that we'll find a connection. But it should be looked at, regardless.

[tncaver]

It's just a theory and could be totally wrong. But Abemectin and other pesticides are used all over. However, it does seem obvious that something kick started WNS and it all started in one finite geographical area, yet has spread North and South. It seems that some kind of pathogen or gene alteration occurred and has grown. Perhaps a wayward bat biologist contaminated the bats with an experiment gone awry. One of the first locations was a gated mine that cavers weren't allowed to visit.