Amount of soil (about 200 mg) from which Geomyces destructans was cultured. This shows the small amount of soil needed to harbor live fungus and the threat that humans might pose in moving it around from cave to cave on their gear, boots, and clothing.

The fungus that has killed millions of bats in eastern North America since 2006 can survive in the environment for long periods of time, according to new research conducted by the USGS National Wildlife Health Center and collaborating partners at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and U.S. Forest Service.

What is White Nose Syndrome?

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease that has resulted in large-scale population declines for many species of North American bats. It is caused by Geomyces destructans, a fungus that is only capable of growing at cool temperatures; for this reason, the pathogen can only grow on bats when they are hibernating and have a depressed body temperature.

The WNS Causing Fungus Can Survive for Years

Scientists were previously unsure of how the fungus survived during the summer months when a bat’s body temperature is above that which is permissible for the growth of G. destructans. A new study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology sheds light on this mystery, demonstrating that the fungus can survive over the summer in the soil of the caves and mines where bats hibernate.  Researchers at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center used culture techniques to analyze soil samples collected from 14 caves and mines in which bats with white-nose syndrome had been previously observed. The scientists found that G. destructans remained viable in the soil of these sites over the summer when bats were absent.  The findings reveal that caves and mines, which remain cool year-round, can serve as reservoirs for the fungus and that bats entering previously infected sites may contract white-nose syndrome from the environment.

In addition, the researchers found that G. destructans could persist in caves and mines for periods of time much longer than several months. At one site, the fungus was still surviving in soil two years after bats had been excluded from the mine. Similar species of fungi that are not pathogenic to bats appear to play out their entire life cycles in the soil of caves, and it is plausible that G. destructans is capable of doing the same. Once G. destructans arrives at a cave or mine, it is possible the site could remain contaminated indefinitely.

What these Findings Mean for Bats and Humans

This research has important implications for managing WNS and vulnerable bat species by revealing the important role that the environment plays in the disease. For example, the findings suggest that susceptible bats may not be able to effectively re-colonize caves and mines that have been previously contaminated and that the reintroduction of certain bat species to such sites may not be a sound strategy for reestablishing lost populations. Although bats likely play a major role in transporting the fungus, the work additionally highlights the potential for humans entering contaminated caves and mines to come into contact with G. destructans years after bats have disappeared from those sites.

The same study also used molecular techniques to examine the distribution of G. destructans in eastern North America and provided new evidence that the fungus is not native to the continent. These findings support a previous hypothesis that G. destructans may have been introduced from Europe where bats do not appear to die from infection by the fungus.  Using these molecular techniques, the scientists  looked for the fungus in the soil of 55 caves and mines where bats hibernate in the eastern U.S. They found that G. destructans was limited to caves and mines within the range of the disease, but the fungus could not be detected in sites that remained disease-free. In addition, the investigation found that the fungus’ presence correlated with the arrival of white-nose syndrome at sites sampled before and after the disease was observed. These results indicate that a pre-existing form of the fungus was not present prior to the manifestation of disease and argues against G. destructans being native to parts of eastern North America prior to the emergence of white-nose syndrome.

Early Detection of WNS

Amount of soil (about 200 mg) from which Geomyces destructans was cultured. This shows the small amount of soil needed to harbor live fungus and the threat that humans might pose in moving it around from cave to cave on their gear, boots, and clothing.

The molecular techniques used in the study represent the first successful attempt to use high-throughput screening, a method to rapidly test large numbers of environmental samples, for G. destructans and accurately distinguish it from the large number of similar fungi that occur in caves and mines. Such a technique has great utility in monitoring sites for the fungus and could serve as a means by which the disease agent can be detected prior to the disease itself being observed. This could allow for proactive management strategies that may reduce the number of bats lost and prevent or slow the spread of the fungus across the landscape.

Bat with white-nose syndrome.

As Halloween approaches and bats prepare for winter hibernation, these iconic animals of the night sky face an uncertain future because of white-nose syndrome (WNS). USGS scientists and others continue to make progress in understanding this deadly bat disease. WNS has killed over 5 million bats since it first appeared in New York in 2007, and the disease, caused by the fungus Geomyces destructans, has spread at an alarming rate to 19 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces (view map).

USGS Science and White Nose Syndrome

USGS science is providing the foundation for informed decisions to manage this devastating wildlife disease.

“The USGS research to combat white nose syndrome lies in what scientists call ‘Pasteur’s Quadrant’: it is not only of immediate and intense need because of the havoc that this disease is causing to an economically important animal, but it also advances the frontier of understanding of how fungi thrive in the environment,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “The race is on: scientist versus fungus, with the survival of several important species of bats at stake.”

Partnerships among agencies – federal, state, tribal, academic, and NGOs – have been essential to combating WNS. In particular, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has funded multi-agency studies that address priorities of the WNS National Plan for assisting states, federal agencies, and tribes to manage WNS. Over the past three years, USGS scientists have published over 30 scientific articles contributing to the ever increasing understanding of this deadly disease.

“The partnership with USGS has provided a solid framework for science-based management of the disease,” said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National White-Nose Syndrome Coordinator Jeremy Coleman. “Working cooperatively with our agency partners provides an opportunity to more efficiently and effectively address priorities in working toward containment of white-nose syndrome.”

WNS Fungus Findings

Scientists are currently searching for weak links in WNS disease processes to break cycles of infection and to slow the spread of this disease. In one of these studies, recently published in the journal PLoS ONE, scientists at USGS National Wildlife Health Center have carefully defined the effects of temperature on the growth of the WNS causing fungus, G. destructans. In the laboratory, scientists have shown that small changes in temperature, consistent with those found in bat caves, affect the overall growth rate and physiology of the fungus. Within caves or mines, localized variations in microclimates provide different environments for bats to hibernate. Different species of bats prefer different microclimate conditions for hibernation, which has been proposed as one of the reasons why some bat species may be more susceptible to WNS than others.

USGS scientists, in collaboration with EcoHealth Alliance and other agencies, have recently initiated a two-year study to build upon the knowledge gained in this laboratory study. They will measure variations in microclimates within actual bat caves and compare these conditions to the presence and abundance of G. destructans in the environment and on bats at those locations. Information from this study will then be used to predict the distribution of G. destructans within bat caves and to estimate the potential for progression of WNS at hibernation sites across the landscape.

Hibernating bats showing signs of infections with Geomyces destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome.

In two additional studies, published in the journal Mycologia , USGS and U.S. Forest Service  scientists  teamed up with others to learn more about the fungal ecology of bat hibernation sites and developed an improved diagnostic test for the fungus. Researchers examined G. destructans within the broader group of related Geomyces fungal species, most of which do not cause disease in bats, but are common in bat caves. This information is helping scientists to understand more about the diversity of related fungi in bat caves as well as the delicate ecology of these underground ecosystems. These findings were then used in the second study to develop a new highly sensitive and specific test that can differentiate between G. destructans and similar fungal species. This new test provides a valuable and reliable tool for enhanced diagnosis and surveillance of WNS.

More information on white-nose syndrome in bats can be found at:

USGS National Wildlife Health Center, WNS page

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, White-Nose Syndrome.org

USGS Fort Collins Science Center, WNS page

The greater sage-grouse is emblematic of the sagebrush ecosystem of the Great Basin of the Western United States. USGS scientists will host several talks and poster at The Wildlife Society meeting, describing research that can improve sagebrush habitat management and land-use decisions.

More than just Rocks

You could say that the U.S. Geological Survey is about more than just rocks.

When wildlife scientists, managers and students gather in Portland, Oregon, this October for The Wildlife Society’s 2012 Conference, they’ll find a conference program with close to 60 presentations, 5 symposia and at least 26 posters featuring a USGS contributor or mentor.

Now nested in the Ecosystems mission of the agency, wildlife research programs at USGS match the longevity of The Wildlife Society, which commemorates its 75^th anniversary this year. The Cooperative Research Unit program was founded in 1935, and one USGS Ecosystems science center — the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center — came into being in 1936, when President Franklin Roosevelt established the Patuxent Research Refuge.

With over a century of history under various U.S. Department of Interior entities, these wildlife research units now form a crucial and complementary element of USGS.

These days USGS is working on science issues that are more complex, larger in scale, and involve more scientific uncertainty than in the past. The agency’s expertise in mapping and landscape surveys, satellite tools and natural hazards analysis has injected technological innovations into wildlife research. At the same time, the legacy of these wildlife research programs — and the collaborative partnerships they have nurtured — are ever more critical as USGS assists other Interior agencies on addressing complex wildlife resource issues, such as climate change, energy, ecosystem restoration, water availability, and human impacts on the landscape.

USGS at The Wildlife Society’s 2012 Conference

White-nose syndrome is devastating bat species, and this one will be one of many wildlife diseases to be discussed by USGS scientists at The Wildlife Society Conference.

A quick glance through the 2012 conference program and you’ll find USGS scientists alongside academia, agency and institutional partners slated to discuss wildlife topics such as:

• Bat interactions with wind energy installations,
• energy development decision support and greater sage-grouse, songbirds, raptors and other species,
• white-nose syndrome, chronic wasting disease and other wildlife health trends,
• innovations in spatial capture-recapture models and hierarchical models, as well as applications of population genetics, LiDAR and stable isotope analysis,
• conservation, climate change impacts and habitat modeling of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, and
• pika, polar bear, clapper rail, spotted owl, salamanders and other species of concern.

Furthermore, USGS is proud to continue its support of the TWS Native Students Professional Development Program, welcoming the next generation of wildlife scientists and enriching the cultural and technical knowledge base of the wildlife research community.

Follow Us!

USGS scientists will present research on many waterfowl species at The Wildlife Society conference, including northern pintails, lesser scaup, Hawaiian goose, and diving ducks.

Fans can follow the USGS at TWS 2012 Conference via social media. Follow @USGSlive on Twitter as well as the #TWS2012 conference hashtag, friend us on Facebook at facebook.com/usgeologicalsurvey, browse the schedule of USGS talks on Google Calendar or add the schedule to your smartphone.

More importantly, say hello to our many scientists in person and stop by the USGS exhibit booth. It’s said that you learn the most being out in the field, but the same can be said for the great face-to-face exchange of ideas and inspired collaborations that are sparked at TWS conferences.

Happy 75^th Birthday, TWS!

Scan this to browse the schedule of USGS talks on Google Calendar:

Browse the schedule of USGS talks at The Wildlife Society’s conference on Google Calendar

Scan this to add the schedule to your smartphone:

Add the Schedule of USGS Presentations at The Wildlife Society’s Conference to Your Mobile Device

Little brown bat with fungus on muzzle.

Winter Home

Missouri has more than 6,300 caves and the implications for the potential spread of WNS farther west are profound. Missouri caves provide winter habitat for more endangered Indiana bats than any other state outside of Indiana.  Three Missouri caves used by endangered gray bats provide critical winter habitat for approximately one quarter of the known hibernating population of that species. Detection of WNS in Missouri also indicates the disease may continue spreading towards the range of more than a dozen additional species of hibernating bats that occur only west of the Great Plains.

What Is It?

White-nose sydrome results from a skin infection of hibernating bats by a fungus previously unknown to science, Geomyces destructans; and is named for the white fungus often seen on the muzzles, ears, and wings of bats. This disease poses a threat to cave hibernating bats of the United States, Canada, and potentially all temperate regions of the world. In 2011, scientists from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center published a study confirming the cold-loving fungus G. destructans is the cause of WNS.

Where Is It?

Hibernating little brown bat with white muzzle typical of White-nose syndrome.

This devastating disease affecting hibernating bats has spread from the Northeast to the mid-Atlantic to the central United States. Since the winter of 2007-2008, millions of insect-eating bats have died from this emerging disease in the eastern US and Canadian provinces.

Within the last two years, WNS has been confirmed in several central states, including Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. However, high mortality of bats has not yet been reported at these locations. The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates bat mortality in the northeastern US since the emergence of WNS has exceeded 5-6 million bats, however, it remains to be seen if WNS will develop and manifest with similar severity in other parts of the country.

Hard at Work

Scientists at many Federal and State agencies and academic institutions are pursuing research to better understand this disease in an effort to manage its spread. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center, the USGS Fort Collins Science Center, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and other partners continue to play a primary role in WNS research.

Studies conducted at the NWHC led to the discovery, characterization, and naming of the causative agent of White-nose syndrome, G. destructans, and to the development of standardized diagnostic criteria for diagnosing the disease. Additionally, NWHC has pioneered animal husbandry and laboratory techniques for studying impacts of the fungus to hibernating bats.

Long-Term Impacts

Most of the species affected by WNS are long-lived and have only a single pup per year. Subsequently, bat populations do not fluctuate widely in numbers over time, and it is unlikely that species of bats affected by WNS will recover quickly. The sudden and widespread mortality associated with WNS is unprecedented in hibernating bats, among which widespread disease outbreaks have not been previously documented. In temperate regions, bats are primary consumers of insects, and a recent economic analysis indicated that insect suppression services (ecosystem services) provided by bats to U.S. agriculture is valued between 4 to 50 billion dollars per year. However, the true ecological consequences of large-scale population reductions currently under way among hibernating bats are not yet known.

Insect-eating bats provide a great pest-control service to agriculture and natural ecosystems.

An outbreak of infectious disease among bats on the order of white-nose syndrome is without precedent, and USGS researchers are working diligently to learn more about its impacts and threats to wild bats

Bat White-nose Syndrome:  There is a New Fungus Among Us

Since first discovered in 2007 in  New York, white-nose syndrome has spread to 16 states, including Virginia and Maryland, and four Canadian provinces. The disease is estimated to have killed over five million hibernating bats.  An outbreak of infectious disease among bats on the order of white-nose syndrome is without precedent, and although insect-feeding wild bats may lack the easily defined monetary value of domestic animals, a recent analysis showed that they provide natural pest control services to American farmers valued at approximately $23 billion per year.  Join us on March 7 to learn about this emergent wildlife disease and to discuss the profound impacts white-nose syndrome may have in the 21st century.

Time: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 • 7-8pmSpeaker: Dr. David BlehertLocation: 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, VA 20192Phone:  703-648-4748Please

Note: This event takes place at a Federal Facility — Photo Id is Required

FREE and Open to the Public

Follow this event live on Twitter @USGSLive

This announcement and directions can be found online.

Requests for accommodations (i.e. sign language interpreting) require notice at least two weeks before the event. Please email jcorley@usgs.gov or call 703-648-7770.

The USGS public lectures are held monthly in Reston, Virginia. These evening events are free to the public and intended to familiarize a general audience with science issues that are meaningful to their daily lives. USGS speakers are selected for their ability and enthusiasm to share their expertise with an audience that may be unfamiliar with the topic; speakers are encouraged to thoroughly explain the subject matter and to define any words or terms that may be unfamiliar.

The USGS lecture series provides the public an opportunity to interact with USGS scientists and ask questions about recent developments in Natural Hazards; Water; Energy Minerals and Environmental Health; Climate and Land Use Change; Ecosystems; and Core Science Systems. Ultimately, the goal is to create a better understanding of the importance and value of USGS science in action.

Insect-eating bats provide a great pest-control service to agriculture and natural ecosystems.

A new article explains the economic importance of insect-eating bats to U.S. agriculture and how white-nose syndrome and wind turbines threaten these valuable animals.

 Learn more

Brown Bats

Scientists have found that the fungus associated with white-nose syndrome in bats is unlike that of any known fungal skin pathogen in land mammals. It is extremely destructive to bats wing skin and may cause catastrophic imbalance in life-support processes.

Learn more information