Scientists unravel the mystery of white nose syndrome

A mysterious disease that destroys 90% of hibernating bats in some caves and the coal mines in the area from Vermont to Virginia over the past 3 years have raised countless questions about the nature of the disease. as well as how to control it.

Leading experts in the field of physiology of bats, fungal ecology, ecotoxicology, environmental and disease models, and others will meet at the seminar at the Institute of Biological and Mathematical Synthesis National Studies (NIMBioS) June 29 to July 1 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to explore the disease and develop solutions to control it.

Representatives from the relevant state and federal agencies and other organizations also attended the workshop. This epidemic is named for the White Nose Syndrome (WNS) caused by a strange white fungus that grows on the snout and other body parts of infected bats . Over half a million bats have died within the past three years due to the disease. Although the cause has not yet been found, the pathogen is likely to be a cold weather-loving fungus. Scientists do not know if this fungus is the only cause of bats dying, or it is just an opportunistic pathogen that takes advantage of the time when the immune system is weakened by a chemical or biological agent. other.

It is still unclear how the WNS is spread, but it is probably transmitted from one bat to another. Other evidence suggests that humans have brought mushrooms from infected areas to clean areas through clothing and utensils.

The purpose of the seminar is to identify knowledge about the disease and develop predictive models to know how and under what conditions the disease can spread. Basically, models will be used to develop appropriate management strategies to control the disease.

Tom Hallam - co-organizer of the workshop and professor of evolutionary ecology and biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville - said so far two management strategies have been proposed to control the spread of disease. The first strategy was to eliminate all human activity in the cave, which was done in the eastern United States. The second strategy is to heat a part of a hibernating cave to help the bat retain energy during waking up after hibernation, from which the bat will not need to leave the cave to search for food before the spring comes. . The disease has disturbed the hibernation cycle of bats, so it causes bats to become seriously underweight.

Bats have white nose syndrome.(Photo: wildwildweather)

Hallam said: 'However, no strategy is taken seriously from a scientific perspective'.

Gary McCracken - co-organizer of the conference and professor of evolutionary ecology and biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville - said bats seem to be resistant to disease, native European bats are immune to the disease. this disease. That aspect needs to be further studied. 'The disease does not destroy every bat. For infected species, only 5-10% of bats survive, which is a survival rate that can be developed later. With evidence of antifungal bats and it is not a threat to bat native to Europe, there is a possibility that the spread of the disease is its limit, ' McCracken said.

Bats feed on insects every night almost two-thirds of their body weight, bats help control insects, which basically helps to reduce the amount of pesticides used for crops. Bats also play an important ecological role in pollinating plants and dispersing seeds.

In April, the US Forest Service issued an urgent order to shut down mines and coal mines in 33 states within a year, while scientists continued to learn about the disease. In 2009, WNS spread to the south from New England to western Virginia and Virginia, which is threatening to encroach on the southeast. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park must also close all public caves, although no pathogens have been found there.