Bat White-nose Syndrome: An Emerging Fungal Pathogen?

摘要

The first evidence of bat white-nose syndrome (WNS) was documented in a photograph taken at Howes Cave, 52 km west of Albany, New York, on 16 February 2006. Since emerging in the northeastern United States, WNS has been confirmed by gross and histologic examinations of bats at 33 sites in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont (fig. S1). Current bat population surveys suggest a 2-year population decline in excess of 75% [see supporting online material (SOM) text for further details]. WNS has been characterized as a condition of hibernating bats and was named for the visually striking white fungal growth on muzzles, ears, and/ or wing membranes of affected bats (Fig. 1A).