White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emergent disease of hibernating bats that has spread from the northeastern across United States at an alarming rate.
Since the winter of 2007-2008, millions of insect-eating bats in 40 states and eight Canadian provinces (as of July 2023) have died from this devastating disease. Bat population declines are expected to have substantial impacts on the environment and agriculture. Bats eat insects that damage crops and spread disease. Consumption of insects by bats saves farmers billions of dollars in pest control services annually.
White-nose syndrome is caused by a fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that infects skin of the muzzle, ears, and wings of hibernating bats. Field signs of WNS can include excessive or unexplained mortality at a hibernaculum; visible white fungal growth on the muzzle or wings of live or freshly dead bats; abnormal daytime activity during winter months or movement toward hibernacula openings; and severe wing damage in bats that have recently emerged from hibernation. Infected bats experience a cascade of physiologic changes that result in weight loss, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and death. To determine conclusively if bats are affected by white-nose syndrome, scientists must examine a skin specimen to look for a characteristic microscopic pattern of skin erosion caused by P. destructans. Please see below for guidance on sample collection and submission for diagnostic services.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been a leading contributor to the interagency response to WNS since 2008 and continues to provide ongoing scientific support to these efforts by performing fundamental research on bat ecology, fungal biology, and WNS epidemiology and pathology.
More resources on white-nose syndrome:
- NWHC Bat White-Nose Syndrome/Pd Surveillance Submission Guidelines (Winter 2021 - 2022)
- Winter 2021/2022 Bat Submission Guidelines and Highlights of the 2020/2021 White-Nose Syndrome Surveillance Season
- A National Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and Tribes in Managing White-Nose Syndrome in Bats
- White-Nose Syndrome.org - A Coordinated Response to the Devastating Bat Disease
- White-nose syndrome occurrence map
- White-nose Syndrome Case Definitions
- Explorers for Bats video
- Battle for Bats video
White-nose syndrome surveillance training videos
White-nose syndrome vaccine update and research on host protection mechanisms
Field trials for testing of white-nose syndrome vaccine candidates
White-Nose Syndrome Surveillance
Below are FAQs about white-nose syndrome.
What is White-nose Syndrome?
White-nose syndrome is an emergent disease of hibernating bats that has spread from the northeastern to the central United States at an alarming rate. Since the winter of 2007-2008, millions of insect-eating bats in at least 40 states and eight Canadian provinces have died from this devastating disease. The disease is named for the white fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that infects skin of...
Does White-nose Syndrome pose a risk to human health?
Thousands of people have visited affected caves and mines since White-nose Syndrome (WNS) was first observed, and there have been no reported human illnesses attributable to WNS. We are still learning about WNS, but we know of no risk to humans from contact with WNS-affected bats. However, we urge taking precautions and not exposing yourself to WNS. Biologists and researchers use protective...
What should cavers know and do in regard to White-nose Syndrome?
In response to White-nose Syndrome (WNS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and individual states request that cavers observe all cave closures and advisories, and avoid caves, mines or passages containing hibernating bats to minimize disturbance to them. The Service asks that cavers and cave visitors stay out of all caves in the affected states and adjoining states to help slow the potential...
What should I do if I find dead or dying bats, or if I observe bats with signs of White-nose Syndrome?
If you find a dead or dying bat: Contact your state wildlife agency, file an electronic report in those states that offer this service, e-mail U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists in your area, or contact your nearest Fish and Wildlife Service field office to report your potential White-nose Syndrome (WNS) observations. It is important to determine the species of bat in case it is a federally...
What species of bats are affected by White-nose Syndrome?
White-nose Syndrome mostly affects hibernating bats. More than half of the 47 bat species living in the United States and Canada hibernate to survive the winter. Twelve bat species, including two endangered species and one threatened species, have been confirmed with white-nose syndrome in North America. The causative fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), has been found on an additional six...
- Overview
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emergent disease of hibernating bats that has spread from the northeastern across United States at an alarming rate.
Since the winter of 2007-2008, millions of insect-eating bats in 40 states and eight Canadian provinces (as of July 2023) have died from this devastating disease. Bat population declines are expected to have substantial impacts on the environment and agriculture. Bats eat insects that damage crops and spread disease. Consumption of insects by bats saves farmers billions of dollars in pest control services annually.
White-nose syndrome is caused by a fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that infects skin of the muzzle, ears, and wings of hibernating bats. Field signs of WNS can include excessive or unexplained mortality at a hibernaculum; visible white fungal growth on the muzzle or wings of live or freshly dead bats; abnormal daytime activity during winter months or movement toward hibernacula openings; and severe wing damage in bats that have recently emerged from hibernation. Infected bats experience a cascade of physiologic changes that result in weight loss, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and death. To determine conclusively if bats are affected by white-nose syndrome, scientists must examine a skin specimen to look for a characteristic microscopic pattern of skin erosion caused by P. destructans. Please see below for guidance on sample collection and submission for diagnostic services.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been a leading contributor to the interagency response to WNS since 2008 and continues to provide ongoing scientific support to these efforts by performing fundamental research on bat ecology, fungal biology, and WNS epidemiology and pathology.
More resources on white-nose syndrome:
- NWHC Bat White-Nose Syndrome/Pd Surveillance Submission Guidelines (Winter 2021 - 2022)
- Winter 2021/2022 Bat Submission Guidelines and Highlights of the 2020/2021 White-Nose Syndrome Surveillance Season
- A National Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and Tribes in Managing White-Nose Syndrome in Bats
- White-Nose Syndrome.org - A Coordinated Response to the Devastating Bat Disease
- White-nose syndrome occurrence map
- White-nose Syndrome Case Definitions
- Explorers for Bats video
- Battle for Bats video
White-nose syndrome surveillance training videos
- Science
White-nose syndrome vaccine update and research on host protection mechanisms
Sixteen years after Pd, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats, was first recognized in New York, its range now extends to the Rocky Mountains, and it has been definitively detected in all but seven states (Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah). The National Wildlife Health Center and our partners continue to field test a WNS vaccine for wild bats and to research...Field trials for testing of white-nose syndrome vaccine candidates
White-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), continues to decimate bat populations in North America, and efforts to develop treatment options have intensified. One potential method for controlling WNS is vaccination of bats with specific antigens to elicit a protective immune response.White-Nose Syndrome Surveillance
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) assists State, Federal, and Tribal wildlife agencies nationwide with early detection of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), and addresses specific research priorities identified by partners in conjunction with the White-Nose Syndrome National Plan. - Multimedia
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Below are FAQs about white-nose syndrome.
What is White-nose Syndrome?
White-nose syndrome is an emergent disease of hibernating bats that has spread from the northeastern to the central United States at an alarming rate. Since the winter of 2007-2008, millions of insect-eating bats in at least 40 states and eight Canadian provinces have died from this devastating disease. The disease is named for the white fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that infects skin of...
Does White-nose Syndrome pose a risk to human health?
Thousands of people have visited affected caves and mines since White-nose Syndrome (WNS) was first observed, and there have been no reported human illnesses attributable to WNS. We are still learning about WNS, but we know of no risk to humans from contact with WNS-affected bats. However, we urge taking precautions and not exposing yourself to WNS. Biologists and researchers use protective...
What should cavers know and do in regard to White-nose Syndrome?
In response to White-nose Syndrome (WNS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and individual states request that cavers observe all cave closures and advisories, and avoid caves, mines or passages containing hibernating bats to minimize disturbance to them. The Service asks that cavers and cave visitors stay out of all caves in the affected states and adjoining states to help slow the potential...
What should I do if I find dead or dying bats, or if I observe bats with signs of White-nose Syndrome?
If you find a dead or dying bat: Contact your state wildlife agency, file an electronic report in those states that offer this service, e-mail U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists in your area, or contact your nearest Fish and Wildlife Service field office to report your potential White-nose Syndrome (WNS) observations. It is important to determine the species of bat in case it is a federally...
What species of bats are affected by White-nose Syndrome?
White-nose Syndrome mostly affects hibernating bats. More than half of the 47 bat species living in the United States and Canada hibernate to survive the winter. Twelve bat species, including two endangered species and one threatened species, have been confirmed with white-nose syndrome in North America. The causative fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), has been found on an additional six...