- Hello Jeff - I expect to hear Colorado and other states
finding White Nose Syndrome in the very near future. We may just see other
species of bats infected as well as WNS travels across the US.
-
- The situation is urgent and very, very serious.
-
- Patty
-
-
-
- White Nose Syndrome Confirmed In More Caves In Tennessee
- By Pam Sohn
- Chattanooga Times Free Press [edited]
-
-
- Wildlife workers have found white-nose syndrome in bats
from 3 more caves in Tennessee -- one right in the heart of Fall
Creek Falls State Park.
-
- Cherokee National Forest officials also have confirmed
a migration route of bats in Cherokee Forest caves to a Smoky Mountains
National Park cave where the disease was found several weeks ago
[see ProMED-mail prior posting .
-
- Wildlife workers have found white-nose syndrome in bats
from 3 more caves in Tennessee -- one right in the heart of Fall
Creek Falls State Park. Cherokee National Forest officials also have
confirmed a migration route of bats in Cherokee Forest caves to a
Smoky Mountains National Park cave where the disease was found several
weeks ago [see White nose syndrome bats - USA (02): (TN) 20100219.0570].
-
- "There are ramifications (for people and ecosystems),"
said Roger Applegate, a biologist with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency. "A bat consumes astronomical numbers of insects in a
night. No matter what numbers you see on some website, it could be
much more than that. And they consume lots of insects that transmit
human diseases. They also eat insects that damage crops and trees,
and some bats act as pollinators," he said.
-
- The discovery by staff of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
brings the total of infected caves to 6 in Tennessee. Bats from Camps
Gulf Cave in Van Buren County at Fall Creek Falls, Grindstaff Cave
in Carter County, and East Fork Saltpeter Cave in Fentress County
have tested positive. The syndrome 1st was confirmed in Tennessee
in March [2010] in caves in Sullivan and Montgomery counties. To
date, no large bat kills have been observed in Tennessee.
-
- White-nose Syndrome is an infectious fungus attributed
to killing over one million bats in the northeastern U.S. since it
was 1st observed in 2006.
-
- Laura Lewis, a biologist with the Cherokee National Forest,
said findings of the disease the the Smokies and in caves on a Virginia
national forest that borders the Cherokee National Forest are especially
worrisome. "We are concerned very much for the Cherokee National
Forest," she said.
-
- Cherokee biologists have tracking equipment on some local
bats, and data shows some are showing up in the cave in the Smokies
where the disease has been found. "We have found that bats in
Monroe county travel to that cave in the Smokies," she said.
"Bats are an extremely mobile species, and we have federally
endangered Indiana bats traveling back and forth in that pattern.
It's really extremely disheartening."
-
- The disease also has been found in the George Washington
and Jefferson National Forest in Virginia, which adjoins the Cherokee
National Forest at it northern tip, she said. Caves in Tennessee on
both federal and state public lands have been closed to cavers for a
year, in an effort to stem the spread of the disease.
-
- In the Northeast, large [bat] mortalities occurred in
the 2nd and 3rd years after initial confirmations of the fungus.
There have been no reported human illnesses attributed to white-nose
syndrome, and there is no evidence to suggest it is harmful to organisms
other than bats, officials have said.
-
- On the Web: To see a map of the syndrome's spread as
of April, see <http://tinyurl.com/28kw7qh>. More than 60 environmental
and other organizations from across the country are urging Congress
to increase funding for research into a disease that is killing bats
in the eastern United States.The latest effort to help stop the spread
of so-called "white nose syndrome" is being spearheaded
by the Richmond-based Center for Biological Diversity.
-
-
- http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/may/16/3-new-caves-with-fatal-bat-syndrome-spark-worries/
-
-
- -- Communicated by: ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org
-
- The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Tennessee
is available at http://healthmap.org/r/01ib.
-
-
- For a description of Fall Creek Falls State Park, go
to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_Creek_Falls_State_Park For a
map of its location go to http://myfallcreekfalls.com/ and click
on the cartoon map in the top right hand corner. - Mod.MHJ
-
-
- WHITE NOSE SYNDROME, BATS - (OKLAHOMA, MISSOURI)
-
- In this update: [1] Oklahoma [2] Oklahoma [3] Missouri
-
- The following messages were forwarded to ProMED by Angie
McIntire of the Arizona Game & Fish Department, AMcIntire@azgfd.gov.
- Mod.MHJ
-
- ****** [1] Oklahoma Date: 14 May 2010 From: Richard Stark
-
-
- A cave myotis _Myotis velifer_ collected from the James
Selman Cave system in Woodward County, Oklahoma, has tested POSITIVE
for _Geomyces destructans_. _G. destructans_ is the fungus associated
with white-nose syndrome. Anne Ballman, a Wildlife Disease Specialist
with the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, WI just
called to notify me. The bat was collected by a graduate student
working for the Oklahoma Biological Survey on 3 May 2010.
-
- The lab initially ran a PCR test which was positive for
_G. destructans_. Follow-up genetic sequencing confirmed the find
is a 100 percent match for _G. destructans_. However, the pattern
of infection was not consistent with white-nose syndrome observed
on bats from the eastern U.S., nor were characteristic conidia observed
to assist in identifying the fungus observed. This means that the bat
is harboring the _G. destructans_ fungus, but should only be considered
"suspect positive" for WNS. The cave will now be considered
contaminated with the _G. destructans_ fungus. We will need to communicate
this finding with our partners to ensure that the cave is closed
to human visitation.
-
- This is the 1st known record of _G. destructans_ in Region
2. This is an extremely interesting find because _Myotis velifer_
is not known from the eastern United States (http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=203).
-
- -- Richard Stark Fish and Wildlife Biologist U. S. Fish
and Wildlife Service Oklahoma Ecological Services 9014 East 21st Street
Tulsa, OK 74129 http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/oklahoma
-
- To find the James Selman Cave system, go to: http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/BatWatchWeb/Directions.html.
- Mod.MHJ
-
- ****** [2] Oklahoma Date: 14 May 2010 From: Dixie Birch
-
- Richard Hatcher is the Director of the Oklahoma Department
of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC), and we just spoke about closing
the cave to public access and possibly issuing a joint press release
early next week. Mr. Hatcher tells me that the cave is not generally
open to the public.
-
- This situation has a number of unusual circumstances
associated with it. 1st, this is the 1st detection of possible WNS
in the cave myotis species. It is the 1st detection of possible WNS
in Region 2 or in Oklahoma, and this represents the most western
detection of WNS in the United States. This raises concerns for other
bat species throughout the states in Region 2. Richard Stark provides
a link above that will show you the range of cave myotis.
-
- We believe that this makes the 13th state where WNS has
been found in the United States.
-
- -- Dixie L. Birch, Ph.D. Field Supervisor/Project Leader
Oklahoma Ecological Services Field Office 9014 E. 21st Street Tulsa, OK
74129 dixie_birch@fws.gov
-
-
- ****** [3] Missouri Date: 14 May 2010 From: Dena Matteson
-
-
- Officials at Ozark National Scenic Riverways have announced
the closure of all caves in the park effective immediately. On 2
May 2010, bat researchers from Missouri State University found an
infectious fungus in 5 gray bats netted just outside a cave in Shannon
County, Missouri. The bats tested positive in a genetics test for
the _Geomyces destructans_ fungus, which causes White-Nose Syndrome
(WNS). Scars on their wings were a clue that the bats probably were
infected over the winter, when the fungus grows on the bats' faces
and skin during hibernation. The cool, damp conditions in many caves
provide an environment in which the fungus thrives.
-
- WNS is a serious disease that has been responsible for
the deaths of over one million bats since its discovery in New York
in 2006. The 1st occurrence in Missouri, the 12th state to document
the disease, was discovered in Pike County in April 2010. Six bat
species were known to be vulnerable, but the recent find is the 1st
known case in Shannon County and the 1st case in the federally endangered
gray bat.
-
- The westward spread of WNS is believed to occur primarily
through bat-to-bat contact but might also be transmitted on the clothes
and gear of humans who have visited an infected cave. Closing bat
caves to human entry reduces human disturbance of bats, which exacerbates
the mortality rate caused by WNS, and reduces the risk of possible
human-borne transmission. WNS does not infect other animals or humans.
-
- The 4 biologists who discovered the infected bats are
graduate students supervised by Dr. Lynn Robbins at Missouri State
University and are conducting a bat research project supported by
a grant from the National Park Service. They had obtained netting
permits from the Missouri Department of Conservation, National Park
Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for that purpose.
-
- The cave, owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation,
is on the Current River within the boundaries of Ozark National Scenic
Riverways. The name and location are withheld to avoid disturbance of
the cave, which contains many natural resources and several species
of bats. A cave gate on the entrance prevents trespassers from entering.
-
- Ozark Riverways protects over 300 caves within its boundaries.
Access to several of these has previously been restricted in order
to protect fragile resources and ecosystems. Due to WNS, the park
is exercising caution in managing activities that impact caves and
bats. Park Superintendent Reed Detring has determined that WNS is
an imminent threat to the cave bats in the park, and every effort
should be made to prevent or slow its spread.
-
- The park is asking visitors to observe all closures and
to avoid other caves or passages of caves that may contain hibernating
populations of bats.
-
- Round Spring Caverns will remain open to public tours
at this time, although the park will implement screening measures
and precautions designed to reduce the risk of human transmission
of WNS. Visitors should decontaminate all clothing, footwear, and
gear upon exiting any cave in order to reduce the possibility of
transmitting the disease. For more information regarding decontamination
of clothing and cave gear, please visit:
-
-
- http://www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html
-
-
- According to Detring, this new policy will be reviewed
regularly as new information about the spread of WNS becomes available.
"The park's biologists have been working diligently to gather
information about WNS since its discovery and to assess the cave
resources at Ozark Riverways. We are using the best scientific data
at hand to make decisions about our future management actions in
this situation. We will continue to gather information and cooperate
with other entities in order to protect these valuable resources."
-
- The discovery of WNS in Missouri, a state with more than
6300 caves, is troubling to the state's leading cave resource experts.
"Missouri is home to at least 12 species of bats," explained
Missouri Department of Conservation Cave Biologist Bill Elliott.
"They are our front-line defense against many insect pests including
some moths, certain beetles and mosquitoes. Insect pests can cause
extensive forest and agricultural damage. Missouri's 775 000 gray
bats alone eat more than 223 billion bugs a year, or about 540 tons.
They also play a vital role in cave ecosystems, providing nutrients
for other cave life through their droppings, or guano, and are food
for other animals such as snakes and owls."
-
- The National Park Service will join other resource agencies
in June 2010 to begin work on a comprehensive Statewide White-Nose
Syndrome Action Plan to address management of this issue.
-
- -- Communicated by: Angela McIntire AMcIntire@azgfd.gov
-
- Our thanks to Angie. Members are encouraged to visit
the White Nose Syndrome Page: http://www.caves.org/WNS/.
-
- To find Shannon County, in SE OK, go to: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/missouri.gif.
Ozark National; Scenic Riverways: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/national_parks/ozark_park99.pdf.
- Mod.MHJ
-
-
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural
Economics Univ of West Indies Please visit my "Emerging Diseases"
message board at: http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php Also
my new website:http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/ Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
Go with God and in Good Health
|
