WINTER UPDATE
January 19, 2012

As we enter the depth of winter, we are all waiting to see to what extent White Nose Syndrome will continue to spread.  Winter hibernacula surveys are only now gearing up, following the trend of the past two years of surveys later in winter.  We've learned that early surveys don't always recognize when WNS has hit a colony, and research has shown that the major WNS mortalities don't occur until March.

In addition, repeated visits to check on bats only disturbs them more.  This causes unnecessary arousal and the burning of precious stored fats that enable bats to survive the winter until food, in the form of insects, is again available in the spring.

Last winter, WNS was reported in new states (Maine, North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky) and Canadian provinces (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick).  However, Missouri and Oklahoma, where  several bats were documented in 2010 as having the fungus Geomyces destructans present, but did not have WNS (that is, no other histological signs of the disease), were free of WNS in 2011.  We won't know until later in the winter and early spring how WNS is progressing or slowing.

Since our last major update, there have been several major developments on the WNS front.  In October, Geomyces destructans was formally identified as the cause of WNS in a paper by Lorch, et al, published in the October issue of Nature.  While certainly no surprise to those working on WNS, it's a testament to the difficulty of working with this fungus and the steps necessary to prove infection according to Koch's postulates, and then the lengthy time frame for peer review and publication, that it took until now to be able to make the formal announcement.

At the October meeting of the North American Society for Bat Research in Toronto, Sebastian Puechemaille presented evolving work on the investigation of Geomyces destructans in Europe.  It is widespread East to West, but not in the warmer Mediterranean region, suggesting hope for the American South.  This was also mirrored by a presentation by Tom Hallam, modeling the dispersion of WNS in the U.S., which projected WNS spreading, but not in the South.  Puechemaille's work also noted that there continue to be no known mortalities associated with the fungus in Europe.  Bats start showing the fungus early winter and by the end are well-covered, but don't die.  They also groom the fungus off during their normal winter arousal bouts.  This work lends credence to the belief that the fungus originated in Europe.

More recent news stories reflect some research and field observations of surviving and even reproducing bats in WNS-affected states.  This is also hopeful news for the conservation and possible eventual recovery of some hard-hit species.

On the subject of research funding, the NSS awarded several new grants over the fall, bringing our total NSS-funded projects to sixteen.  We thank all of you who have donated to the fund, and welcome your contributions at any time.  They continue to make a difference for WNS, and for the NSS.

Thanks largely to the efforts of Vermont U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, the federal budget compromise enacted just before the holidays includes $4 million dedicated to WNS, even through the overall Agency of Interior budget was cut. That reflects the growing Congressional interest and prioritization of WNS as an issue.

Sen. Leahy also sent a letter in December to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asking that the Service update the long-standing statement that “more than a million” bats had died from WNS.  On January 17, USFWS issued a press release announcing the new estimate of at least 5.7 million bat deaths due to WNS.  The press release did not describe the methodology for the estimate, nor does it provide a state by state breakdown.

Perhaps more important than the raw number, however, is whether or not the spread of WNS is accelerating or slowing down. The USFWS release is silent on whether or not the majority of bat deaths occurred in the earlier years of WNS infection, or later.  As we continue to examine the details behind the gross number, it will be important to understand these details to help guide intelligent research and management decisions and investments, and to evaluate the results of those decisions.

In closing, and on a personal note, the WNS world was stunned when long-time bat researcher, Tom Kunz, Director of Boston University's Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology, was seriously injured in a car accident in October. Tom continues a slow recovery, but his leadership in WNS research, affecting many students and colleagues, is sorely missed.  We hope he will be back with us in the not-too-distant future.

Peter Youngbaer
NSS 16161 CM FE
NSS WNS Liaison

WNS Rapid Response Fund
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Grant application guidelines, review & award process
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Special WNS Session at the 2011 NSS Convention, Glenwood Springs, Colorado
July 20, 2011, links to complete presentations

Summary of the 2011 WNS Symposium, May 17-19, 2011 By Peter Youngbaer

Abstracts from the Pittsburgh WNS Symposium May 25-27, 2010

Second WNS Science Strategy Conference Proceedings
Austin TX, May 27-28, 2009

Albany WNS Science Strategy Conference Proceedings June 2008. Includes the WNS research priorities for 2008-2009 that were developed as a result of this meeting.

Little Brown Myotis Persist Despite Exposure to WNS
By Dobony/Hicks/Langwig/von Linden/Okoniewski/Rainbolt, Dec. 2011

DNA-based detection of the fungal pathogen Geomyces
destructans in soils from bat hibernacula
(D. Lindner, et al, Mycologia 103(2) 2011, pp. 241-246, 10 March 2011)

Clonal Genotype of Geomyces destructans among Bats with White Nose Syndrome, New York, U.S.A. (S.S. Rajkumar, et al, Emerging Infectious
Diseases, Vol. 17, No. 7, July 2011)

Pan-European Distribution of White-Nose Syndrome Fungus
Not Associated with Mass Mortality (April 27, 2011; PloS one;
Sebastian Puechemaille et al)

Ecosystem Services Provided by Bats (Annals of the
NY Academy of Sciences, 30 March 2011)

Increasing Incidence of G.d. Fungus in Bats from the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Wing pathology of WNS in bats suggests life-threatening disruption of physiology (BMC Biology, Nov. 11, 2010)

Broad Institute Genome Sequencing of Geomyces destructans (9/16/10)

Published Research on WNS Fungus in European Bats (8/18/10)

Tennessee WNS Monitoring Report (7/19/10)

One Stop Chart of WNS Past and Current Research Projects (Thanks to USFWS)

New Published Research on Geomyces Destructans (posted 6/6/10)

Pathologic Findings and Liver Elements in Hibernating Bats With WNS

Published research on WNS-related wing damage (Reichard and Kunz)

Published Research on Climate and Reproductive Timing on Demography Little Brown Bats and Implications of WNS on Species Viability British Journal of Animal Ecology, 2009

Scientists' letter of concern to USFWS (11/24/09)

NJ Summer Bat Count Survey Report

Sterling Rope and Webbing Decon and Stress Results
(from Dr. Hazel Barton; IMPORTANT: These are Sterling results only - no results yet from other rope manufacturers)

Special WNS Session at the International Congress of Speleology/NSS Convention
July 23, 2009. Links to complete presentations.

Special Report: WNS Scientific Research Summary and Status
A special summary of ongoing WNS research (PDF 3/15/09)

Published Research on WNS-related Fungus
Dr David Blehert, et al's description of the Geomyces sp.

Wing Damage Index for Assessing WNS-Affected Bats
A field assessment tool for examining damage to bats that have emerged from hibernation.

WNS fungus named: Geomyces destructans
This species is described as new to science.

WNS webinar from National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)
Link to all the presentations on 24 June 09.
View the Summary Report of the NIMBioS Workshop

Histopathologic criteria to confirm white-nose syndrome in bats
Invasion of living tissue distinguishes this fungal infection.

Rapid PCR Diagnosis of WNS in Bats (Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation)

Click map for larger view

WNS Liaison Report to the President/BOG
Progress, plans, and problems. (9/24/11)

NSS Formal Comments on Draft National WNS Plan
Recommended NSS experts (12/26/10)

NSS Response to CBD Petitions (2/25/10)

US Fish & Wildife Service WNS Page
WNS news, info, photos, protocols, planning, research, and monitoring. 6/6/11)

Bat Conservation International
WNS FAQ, newsletter, and position statement on cave closures (6/6/11)

Bat Conservation and Management WNS Page
WNS info, photos and videos, including PA's Tresckow Mine. (4/23/11)

DC Grotto WNS Page
Info, hard news, links, compiled and vetted by Bob Hoke. (6/5/11)

Mammoth Cave NP Issues WNS Plan

Virginia Cave Board and DCR Karst Office (9/15/09)

FAQ on WNS by MO Dept. of Conservation

Bureau of Land Management - WNS in Bats

UK Bat Conservation Trust

WNS ARCHIVES
A historical record of information previously posted to this site.

Photo credits: Top photo: Nancy Heaslip, NYDEC; "Species of Concern," NSS Print Salon HM by Jansen Cardy; WNS Occurance Map by Cal Butchkoski.