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White-Nose Syndrome Active

By National Wildlife Health Center February 1, 2018

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 37 states and seven Canadian provinces (as of March 2021) 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:

White-nose syndrome surveillance training videos

Below are images related to white-nose syndrome.

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Southeastern Bat with P. destructans Fungus
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A bat with White-nose syndrome hanging in a cave. Photo by USFWS.
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A little brown bat displaying white nose syndrome. FWS photo.
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Little Brown Bat with white-nose syndrome
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Bat necropsy at NWHC
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Image: The Effects of Geomyces Destructans Infection on Bat Wings
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Examining the wing of a bat
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Scientist taking enivornmental swab from the side of a cave.
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Scientist taking sample from the ground with a spoon.
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Set up in front of cave entrance to capture bats
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Scientist holding the wing of a bat up to a flashlight.
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Scientist holding bat while swab is taken from the wing of the bat.
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Image: Brown Bats in Cave
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Bats affected with white-nose syndrome on cave wall.
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Biologists in a cave.
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Image: Scientist at Bat Cave
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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 o
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Ecosystems, National Wildlife Health Center
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Skin fungal assemblages of bats vary based on susceptibility to white-nose syndrome

Microbial skin assemblages, including fungal communities, can influence host resistance to infectious diseases. The diversity-invasibility hypothesis predicts that high-diversity communities are less easily invaded than species-poor communities, and thus diverse microbial communities may prevent pathogens from colonizing a host. To explore the hypothesis that host fungal communities mediate resist
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, National Wildlife Health Center

Virally-vectored vaccine candidates against white-nose syndrome induce anti-fungal immune response in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus)

White-nose syndrome (WNS) caused by the fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) has killed millions of North American hibernating bats. Currently, methods to prevent the disease are limited. We conducted two trials to assess potential WNS vaccine candidates in wild-caught Myotis lucifugus. In a pilot study, we immunized bats with one of four vaccine treatments or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, National Wildlife Health Center

Experimental infection of Tadarida brasiliensis with Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is causing significant declines in populations of North American hibernating bats, and recent western and southern expansions of the disease have placed additional species at risk. Understanding differences in species susceptibility and identifying management actions to reduce mortality of bats from WNS are top research priorities. However, the use of wild-caught suscepti
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, National Wildlife Health Center

U.S. Geological Survey response to white-nose syndrome in bats

OverviewSince its discovery in 2007, the fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome (WNS) has killed more than six million bats. Ten of 47 bat species have been affected by WNS across 32 States and 5 Canadian Provinces. The cold-growing fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) that causes WNS infects skin covering the muzzle, ears, and wings of hibernating bats. The fungus erodes deep into the vital
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, National Wildlife Health Center

Determinants of Pseudogymnoascus destructans within bat hibernacula: Implications for surveillance and management of white-nose syndrome

Fungal diseases are an emerging global problem affecting human health, food security and biodiversity. Ability of many fungal pathogens to persist within environmental reservoirs can increase extinction risks for host species and presents challenges for disease control. Understanding factors that regulate pathogen spread and persistence in these reservoirs is critical for effective disease managem
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, National Wildlife Health Center

Phylogenetics of a fungal invasion: Origins and widespread dispersal of white-nose syndrome

Globalization has facilitated the worldwide movement and introduction of pathogens, but epizoological reconstructions of these invasions are often hindered by limited sampling and insufficient genetic resolution among isolates. Pseudogymnoascus destructans, a fungal pathogen causing the epizootic of white-nose syndrome in North American bats, has exhibited few genetic polymorphisms in previous stu
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Ecosystems, National Wildlife Health Center

Dispersal hazards of Pseudogymnoascus destructans by bats and human activity at hibernacula in summer

Bats occupying hibernacula during summer are exposed to Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), and may contribute to its dispersal. Furthermore, equipment and clothing exposed to cave environments are a potential source for human-assisted spread of Pd. To explore dispersal hazards for Pd during the nonhibernal season, we tested samples that were collec
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Ecosystems, National Wildlife Health Center

Datasheet: Pseudogymnoascus destructans (white-nose syndrome fungus)

Pseudogymnoascus destructans is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging disease of North American bats that has caused unprecedented population declines. The fungus is believed to have been introduced to North America from Europe or Asia (where it is present but does not cause significant mortality), but the full extent of its native range is unknown
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Ecosystems, National Wildlife Health Center

Geomyces and Pseudogymnoascus: Emergence of a primary pathogen, the causative agent of bat white-nose syndrome

Geomyces and Pseudogymnoascus (Fungi, Ascomycota, Leotiomycetes, aff. Thelebolales) are closely related groups of globally occurring soil-associated fungi. Recently, these genera of fungi have received attention because a newly identified species, Pseudogymnoascus (initially classified as Geomyces) destructans, was discovered in association with significant and unusual mortality of hibernating bat
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Ecosystems, National Wildlife Health Center

Effects of wind energy generation and white-nose syndrome on the viability of the Indiana bat

Wind energy generation holds the potential to adversely affect wildlife populations. Species-wide effects are difficult to study and few, if any, studies examine effects of wind energy generation on any species across its entire range. One species that may be affected by wind energy generation is the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), which is found in the eastern and midwestern United State
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Ecosystems, Energy & Wildlife, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

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 o
By
Ecosystems, National Wildlife Health Center

First detection of bat white-nose syndrome in western North America

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging fungal disease of bats caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since it was first detected near Albany, NY, in 2006, the fungus has spread across eastern North America, killing unprecedented numbers of hibernating bats. The devastating impacts of WNS on Nearctic bat species are attributed to the likely introduction of P. destructans from Eurasia to naive ho
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Ecosystems, National Wildlife Health Center

White-Nose Syndrome Occurrence Map

View current and archived maps of white-nose syndrome occurrence by county/district.

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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, National Wildlife Health Center

Below are news stories about white-nose syndrome.

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White-nose syndrome surveillance and research updates

Updates on white-nose syndrome surveillance and research from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Fall 2019.

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Vaccination May Help Protect Bats from Deadly Disease

A new study shows that vaccination may reduce the impact of white-nose syndrome in bats, marking a milestone in the international fight against one of...

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New Information on Bat Fungus Improves Detection of Deadly Disease

The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease of hibernating bats, spreads rapidly by way of...

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Alabama Survey Finds First Southeastern Bat with White-Nose Syndrome

Biologists have confirmed white-nose syndrome in the southeastern bat, or Myotis austroriparius, for the first time. The species joins eight other...

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Deadly Bat Fungus in Washington State Likely Originated in Eastern U.S.

   

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Bat with white-nose syndrome confirmed in Washington state

OLYMPIA, Wash. – White-nose syndrome (WNS) has been confirmed in a little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) found near North Bend – the first recorded...

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How Does White-Nose Syndrome Kill Bats?

For the first time, scientists have developed a detailed explanation of how white-nose syndrome (WNS) is killing millions of bats in North America...
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Ultra-violet Light Works as Screening Tool for Bats with White-nose Syndrome.

Scientists working to understand the devastating bat disease known as white-nose syndrome (WNS) now have a new, non-lethal tool to identify bats with...

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Below are FAQs about white-nose syndrome.

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Little brown bat with 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 37 states and seven Canadian provinces have died from this devastating disease. The disease is named for the white fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that infects skin of...

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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 37 states and seven Canadian provinces have died from this devastating disease. The disease is named for the white fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that infects skin of...

Learn More
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Image: Brown Bats with White Nose

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...

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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...

Learn More
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Image: Scientist at Bat Cave

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...

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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...

Learn More
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Image: Dead Bats Near Cave Entrance

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...

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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...

Learn More
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Hibernating little brown bat with white muzzle and spots on wings typical of white-nose syndrome. (Photo by Greg Turner, Pennsyl

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...

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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...

Learn More