First Detection of Bat White-Nose Syndrome in Western North America

Author

Jeffrey M. Lorch
Jonathan M. Palmer
Daniel L. Lindner
Anne E. Ballmann
Kyle G. George
Kathryn Griffin
Susan Knowles
John R. Huckabee
Katherine H. Haman
Christopher D. Anderson
Penny A. Becker
Joseph B. Buchanan
Jeffrey T. Foster
David S. Blehert

Files

Publication Date

8-31-2016

Publication Title

mSphere

Volume Number

1

Abstract

White-nose syndrome (WNS) represents one of the most consequential wildlife diseases of modern times. Since it was first documented in New York in 2006, the disease has killed millions of bats and threatens several formerly abundant species with extirpation or extinction. The spread of WNS in eastern North America has been relatively gradual, inducing optimism that disease mitigation strategies could be established in time to conserve bats susceptible to WNS in western North America. The recent detection of the fungus that causes WNS in the Pacific Northwest, far from its previous known distribution, increases the urgency for understanding the long-term impacts of this disease and for developing strategies to conserve imperiled bat species.

Document Type

Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00148-16

Recommended Citation

Lorch, Jeffrey M.; Palmer, Jonathan M.; Lindner, Daniel L.; Ballmann, Anne E.; George, Kyle G.; Griffin, Kathryn; Knowles, Susan; Huckabee, John R.; Haman, Katherine H.; Anderson, Christopher D.; Becker, Penny A.; Buchanan, Joseph B.; Foster, Jeffrey T.; and Blehert, David S., "First Detection of Bat White-Nose Syndrome in Western North America" (2016). KIP Articles. 8820.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/8820