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 publications about white-nose syndrome.
White-nose syndrome in North American bats - U.S. Geological Survey updates
White-Nose Syndrome Diagnostic Laboratory Network handbook
Sex-biased infections scale to population impacts for an emerging wildlife disease
Environmental transmission of Pseudogymnoascus destructans to hibernating little brown bats
Early treatment of white-nose syndrome is necessary to stop population decline
Plant pathogens provide clues to the potential origin of bat white-nose syndrome Pseudogymnoascus destructans
Experimental inoculation trial to determine the effects of temperature and humidity on White-nose Syndrome in hibernating bats
Long-term Pseudogymnoascus destructans surveillance data reveal factors contributing to pathogen presence
Context dependency of disease-mediated competitive release in bat assemblages following white-nose syndrome
Mycobiome traits associated with disease tolerance predict many western North American bat species will be susceptible to white-nose syndrome
Analysis of archival specimens confirms White-nose syndrome in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) from New York, USA, in spring 2007
Laboratory maintenance and culture of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes bat white-nose syndrome
Occupancy and detectability of northern long-eared bats in the Lake States Region
White-Nose Syndrome Occurrence Map
View current and archived maps of white-nose syndrome occurrence by county/district.
Below are news stories about white-nose syndrome.
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
- Publications
Below are publications about white-nose syndrome.
White-nose syndrome in North American bats - U.S. Geological Survey updates
White-nose syndrome is a devastating wildlife disease that has killed millions of hibernating bats. This disease first appeared in New York during 2007 and has continued to spread at an alarming rate from the northeastern to the central United States and throughout eastern Canada. The disease is named for the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which often appears white when it infects the skin oAuthorsEmily W. Lankau, Gail Moede RogallFilter Total Items: 60White-Nose Syndrome Diagnostic Laboratory Network handbook
When responding to a wildlife disease outbreak, managers depend on consistent and clear data to make decisions. However, diagnostic methods for detecting pathogens of wildlife often lack the level of procedural and interpretational standardization that occurs in the investigation of human and domestic animal diseases. This lack of standardization can hamper diagnostic reliability in two ways. FirsAuthorsKatrina E. AlgerSex-biased infections scale to population impacts for an emerging wildlife disease
Demographic factors are fundamental in shaping infectious disease dynamics. Aspects of populations that create structure, like age and sex, can affect patterns of transmission, infection intensity and population outcomes. However, studies rarely link these processes from individual to population-scale effects. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying demographic differences in disease are frequently unAuthorsMacy J. Kailing, Joseph R. Hoyt, J. Paul White, Heather M. Kaarakka, Jennifer A. Redell, Ariel Elizabeth Leon, Tonie E. Rocke, John E. DePue, William H. Scullon, Katy L. Parise, Jeffrey T. Foster, A. Marm Kilpatrick, Kate E. LangwigEnvironmental transmission of Pseudogymnoascus destructans to hibernating little brown bats
Pathogens with persistent environmental stages can have devastating effects on wildlife communities. White-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has caused widespread declines in bat populations of North America. In 2009, during the early stages of the WNS investigation and before molecular techniques had been developed to readily detect P. destructans in environmAuthorsAlan C. Hicks, Scott Darling, Joel Flewelling, Ryan von Linden, Carol Meteyer, Dave Redell, J. Paul White, Jennifer A. Redell, Ryan Smith, David S. Blehert, Noelle L. Rayman-Metcalf, Joseph R. Hoyt, Joseph C. Okoniewski, Kate E. LangwigEarly treatment of white-nose syndrome is necessary to stop population decline
Since its introduction to North America, white-nose syndrome has been associated with declines greater than 90% in several bat species, prompting the development of treatments to reduce disease-related mortality. As treatment application is scaled up, predicting responses at the population level will help in the development of management plans.We develop a model allowing for the implementation ofAuthorsJohn Forrest Grider, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Riley F. Bernard, Robin E. RussellPlant pathogens provide clues to the potential origin of bat white-nose syndrome Pseudogymnoascus destructans
White-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats, yet both the origins and infection strategy of the causative fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, remain elusive. We provide evidence for a novel hypothesis that P. destructans emerged from plant-associated fungi and retained invasion strategies affiliated with fungal pathogens of plants. We demonstrate that P. destructans invades bat skin in succeAuthorsCarol Meteyer, Julien Yann Dutheil, M. Kevin Keel, Justin G. Boyles, Eva Holtgrewe StukenbrockExperimental inoculation trial to determine the effects of temperature and humidity on White-nose Syndrome in hibernating bats
Disease results from interactions among the host, pathogen, and environment. Inoculation trials can quantify interactions among these players and explain aspects of disease ecology to inform management in variable and dynamic natural environments. White-nose Syndrome, a disease caused by the fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), has caused severe population declines of several bat spAuthorsWinifred F. Frick, Emily R. Johnson, Tina L. Cheng, Julia S. Lankton, Robin Warne, Jason Dallas, Katy L. Parise, Jeffrey T. Foster, Justin G. Boyles, Liam P. McGuireLong-term Pseudogymnoascus destructans surveillance data reveal factors contributing to pathogen presence
The disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) was first recognized in upstate New York in 2006 and has since spread across much of the United States (U.S.), causing severe mortality in several North American bat species. To aid in the identification and monitoring of at-risk bat populations, we evaluate factors associated with the presence of the causative fungal agent of WNS, Pseudogymnoascus destructansAuthorsJohn Grider, Robin E. Russell, Anne Ballmann, Trevor J. HefleyContext dependency of disease-mediated competitive release in bat assemblages following white-nose syndrome
White-nose syndrome (WNS) has caused dramatic declines of several cave-hibernating bat species in North America since 2006, which has increased the activity of non-susceptible species in some geographic areas or during times of night formerly occupied by susceptible species—indicative of disease-mediated competitive release (DMCR). Yet, this pattern has not been evaluated across multiple bat assemAuthorsSara Bombaci, Robin E. Russell, Michael J. St. Germain, Christopher A. Dobony, W. Mark Ford, Susan Loeb, David S. JachowskiMycobiome traits associated with disease tolerance predict many western North American bat species will be susceptible to white-nose syndrome
White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has caused catastrophic population declines of bats in eastern North America, is rapidly spreading across the continent and now threatens previously unexposed bat species in western North America. The causal agent of WNS, the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, can infect many species of hibernating bats, but susceptibility to WNS varies by host spAuthorsKaren J Vanderwolf, Lewis J. Campbell, Daniel R. Taylor, Tony L. Goldberg, David S. Blehert, Jeffrey M. LorchAnalysis of archival specimens confirms White-nose syndrome in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) from New York, USA, in spring 2007
White-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging fungal disease of North American bats, was first diagnosed in January 2008, although mortality and photo-documentation suggest the disease may have been present earlier. Using archived samples, we describe a definitive case of WNS in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) from New York, USA, in spring 2007.AuthorsSaskia Keller, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Brenda M. Berlowski-Zier, Anne Ballmann, David S. BlehertLaboratory maintenance and culture of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes bat white-nose syndrome
Pseudogymnoascus destructans is a fungal pathogen that causes white‐nose syndrome, an emerging and fatal disease of North American bats that has led to unprecedented population declines. As a psychrophile, P. destructans is adapted to infect bats during winter hibernation, when host metabolic activity and core body temperature are greatly reduced. The ability to maintain and cultivate isolates ofAuthorsDavid S. Blehert, Jeffrey M. LorchOccupancy and detectability of northern long-eared bats in the Lake States Region
The northern long‐eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) is one of the bat species most affected by white‐nose syndrome. Population declines attributed to white‐nose syndrome contributed to the species’ listing as federally threatened under the 1973 Endangered Species Act. Although one of the most abundant Myotine bats in eastern North America prior to white‐nose syndrome, little is known about northeAuthorsBrenna A. Hyzy, Robin E. Russell, Alexander Silvis, W. Mark Ford, Jason D. Riddle, Kevin R. Russell - Web Tools
White-Nose Syndrome Occurrence Map
View current and archived maps of white-nose syndrome occurrence by county/district.
- News
Below are news stories about white-nose syndrome.
- FAQ
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...