Workers find ways to fight bat fungus

April 6th, 2009 Workers find ways to fight bat fungus
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
By Edward Munger Jr.
Schenectday, NY Daily Gazette Reporter

DELMAR It's not clear how the white fungus found on dead bats relates to the massive bat die-off over the past three years, but state Wildlife Pathologist Ward Stone and a crew of interns have discovered several ways to kill it.

The work, focusing on disinfectants, temperature, bacteria and ultraviolet light, could lead to methods for disinfecting caving gear to ensure that humans aren't spreading the affliction.

It might also hold clues to bring scientists closer to stemming the spread of the white nose syndrome, which was first observed in New York with the discovery of thousands of dead bats in 2006.

The affliction has now spread to seven states, and the fungus, Stone said, is a newly discovered variety that doesn't have an official name yet.

So far, Stone said he has learned the fungus:

Dies in temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can survive indirect sunlight but dies when exposed to direct ultraviolet light.

Can be killed with some disinfectant products, such as Lysol.

"We set out to understand the biology and just get the basic information," then some people said, "we want to kill it," Stone said Tuesday at the state Wildlife Pathology Unit in Delmar.

Stone said he sent out detailed information regarding how to kill the fungus this week to caving organizations in a few states.

Intern Rob Hoyt, a wildlife management major at SUNY Cobleskill, began isolating bacteria found on a healthy brown bat and learned that one of those bacteria appears to kill the white fungus.

It's still unclear if the bacteria is typically found on bats or whether its absence has an impact on the bats' dying.

On Tuesday, Stone received a shipment of two incubators used to hatch eggs. Because of the high temperature they can reach, he's exploring using them as a means to rid caving equipment, cameras and other gear of the fungus to ensure that it isn't spread by cavers.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a notice last week asking people to stay out of caves in states where the syndrome was discovered as well as in adjoining states, a request that's garnered support in the caving community but not unqualified support.

The Northeastern Cave Conservancy board of directors met Sunday and decided to shut down caves they own until May 15, despite the federal request that people stay out of caves indefinitely.

Conservancy Vice President Peter Youngbaer said May 15 is the typical day caves are re-opened because it's believed that bats are done hibernating by then.

"Several of the [cavers] are not convinced that the science they're relying on really justifies staying out of the caves in the summertime. We don't think that's been clarified," Youngbaer said.

The federal request to stay out of caves doesn't have an expiration date, and the NCC hopes to continue its work to educate the public and protect land with caves beneath it, he said.