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Wildlife Health
White-Nose Syndrome
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease of cave-hibernating bats caused by a fungus, Geomyces destructans. The disease was first observed in four caves near Albany, New York, in the winter of 2006–2007. Before the onset of the disease, decades of winter surveys for hibernating bats that occur in New York indicated healthy and increasing populations. Since 2007, white-nose syndrome has spread into 17 additional states and 4 Canadian Provinces, and devastated populations of bats in its path. Overall declines of hibernating colonies at the most closely monitored New York sites reached 75% within two to three years of initial detection, and declines have approached 100% in some areas. As of March 2012, WNS has been detected in 6 species of hibernating bats, and G. destructans has been found on 3 additional species without apparently causing disease.
Photo by Ryan Von Linden, NY DEC
In summer 2009, scientists identified a previously unknown species of cold-loving fungus (Geomyces destructans) as a consistent pathogen causing skin infection in bats at affected sites. In 2011, G. destructans was identified as the causal agent of WNS. This fungus thrives in low temperatures (5–14ºC; 40–55ºF) and high levels of humidity (>90%), conditions that are characteristic of the bodies of hibernating bats and the caves and mines in which they hibernate. Chronic disturbance of hibernating bats can cause high rates of mortality through loss of fat and possibly water, and effects associated with skin infection by G. destructans may also cause bats to consume critical fat and water reserves during winter.
More than half of the species of insectivorous bats that occur in the U.S. rely on hibernation as their primary strategy for surviving the winter, when insect prey is not available. Four endangered species and subspecies of bats in the U.S. rely on undisturbed caves or mines for successful hibernation, and all four of these species (Indiana, Gray, Virginia big-eared and Ozark big-eared bats) hibernate/reside within the WNS affected area. Although the potential for the cold-adapted fungus to continue spreading is currently unknown, the implications of it undermining the survival strategy of so many bat species are enormous. We are just beginning to appreciate the roles bats play in North American ecosystems, and the impact of WNS on bat populations. We need to further understand its potential to influence ecosystem function, for example through cascading effects on bat prey abundance.
Species of bats with WNS: Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), Eastern small-footed bat (Myotis
leibii), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis = endangered), Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), Tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus)
Species of bats with G. destructans only: Cave bat (Myotis velifer), Gray bat (Myotis grisescens = endangered), Southeastern bat (Myotis austroriparius)
WNS and the National Park Service
WNS or G. destructans have been found in or immediately adjacent to 7 NPS units: Acadia National Park (WNS), Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park (WNS), Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (WNS), Great Smoky Mountains National Park (WNS), New River Gorge National River (WNS), Ozark National Scenic Riverway (Gd), and Russell Cave National Monument (WNS).
Since spring 2009, the NPS Wildlife Health Branch (WHB) has led an NPS WNS working group made up of cave and bat ecologists, regional biologists, and park superintendents. The primary objectives of the working group are to disseminate information among parks and regions and to coordinate NPS WNS response and management activities nationwide. A number of NPS biologists have helped with WNS national planning efforts through their input to various National Plan working groups. In addition, the NRSS Associate Director is a member of the WNS National Plan Executive Committee, and NPS Wildlife Veterinarians are members of the WNS National Plan Steering and Coordination Committees.
A September 2010 Deputy Director’s guidance memorandum reiterated previous advice, and recommended that parks across the country work to minimize the risk of WNS impacting NPS resources. The primary recommendations were that field-based staffs continue to make WNS management decisions based on the best science available and in accordance with the NPS mission, policies, and park enabling legislation, and that efforts be made to limit the human-assisted spread of WNS into or out of NPS units. In response to the memorandum, parks have written or updated Cave Management Plans or have used the Superintendent’s Compendium to take a number of actions to help manage WNS:
- In parks where cave visitation is allowed, access to caves requires a permit or tour ticket. In parks where visitors can be screened prior to cave entry and gear can be decontaminated or disallowed as necessary, NPS caves remain open. Where those precautions cannot be implemented, caves have been closed.
- Many NPS units have focused efforts on educating visitors, partners, and neighbors about cave ecosystems, bats, and the potentially devastating impacts of WNS. For example, Mammoth Cave National Park has developed a WNS information booth, educational posters, and a video that provide information to over 450,000 cave visitors per year, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which does not offer cave tours, has produced a WNS podcast that is available online.
- Parks across the country have been supporting WNS research by monitoring bat populations, conducting disease surveillance, sharing existing data, and providing research sites and research assistance.
