White-Nose Syndrome

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
• 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

• Collecting a skin swab for white-nose syndrome surveillance
• Environmental sampling for white-nose syndrome surveillance
• UV screening for bat white-nose syndrome surveillance
• Collecting a bat skin biopsy for white-nose syndrome surveillance
• Approved euthanasia methods for bats (Microchiroptera)