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BreviaBat White-Nose Syndrome: An Emerging Fungal Pathogen?
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 psychro-philic 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.
1 National Wildlife Health Center, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, WI 53711, USA.
2 New York Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233, USA. 3 New York Department of Health, Post Office Box 22002, Albany, NY 12201, USA. 4 Cornell University, VRT T6008, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. 5 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3817 Luker Road, Cortland, NY 13045, USA. 6 Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 271 North Main Street, Rutland, VT 05701, USA. 7 Symbiology Limited Liability Corporation, Middleton, WI 53562, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: dblehert{at}usgs.gov
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Present address: Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 445 Easterday Lane, Madison, WI 53706, USA. Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)
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