Submitted on July 28, 2008
Accepted on September 30, 2008
Bat White-Nose Syndrome: An Emerging Fungal Pathogen?
David S. Blehert 1*, Alan C. Hicks 2, Melissa Behr 3, Carol U. Meteyer 1, Brenda M. Berlowski-Zier 1, Elizabeth L. Buckles 4, Jeremy T. H. Coleman 5, Scott R. Darling 6, Andrea Gargas 7, Robyn Niver 5, Joseph C. Okoniewski 2, Robert J. Rudd 8, Ward B. Stone 2
1 USGS – National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Rd., Madison, WI 53711, USA.
2 NY Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233, USA.
3 NY Department of Health, P.O. Box 22002, Albany, NY 12201, USA.; Present address: WI Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 445 Easterday Ln., Madison, WI 53706, USA.
4 Cornell University, VRT T6008, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
5 US Fish and Wildlife Service, 3817 Luker Rd., Cortland, NY 13045, USA.
6 Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 271 North Main St., Rutland, VT 05701, USA.
7 Symbiology LLC, Middleton, WI 53562, USA.
8 NY Department of Health, P.O. Box 22002, Albany, NY 12201, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
David S. Blehert , E-mail: dblehert{at}usgs.gov
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a condition associated with an unprecedented bat mortality event in the northeastern United States. Since the winter of 2006-2007, bat declines exceeding 75% have been observed at surveyed hibernacula. Affected bats often present with visually striking white fungal growth on their muzzles, ears, and/or wing membranes. Direct microscopy and culture analyses demonstrated that the skin of WNS-affected bats is colonized by a psychrophilic fungus that is phylogenetically related to Geomyces spp., but with a conidial morphology distinct from characterized members of this genus. This report characterizes the cutaneous fungal infection associated with WNS.
