Electrolyte Depletion in White-nose Syndrome Bats

摘要: The emerging wildlife disease white-nose syndrome is causing widespread mortality in hibernating North American bats. White-nose occurs when the fungus Geomyces destructans infects living skin of bats during hibernation, but links between infection and are underexplored. We analyzed blood from compared electrolyte levels to wing damage caused by fungus. Sodium chloride tended decrease as increased severity. Depletion these electrolytes suggests that infected may become hypotonically dehydrated winter. Although regularly arouse hibernation drink winter, water available hibernacula not contain sufficient offset winter losses disease. Damage bat wings G. cause life-threatening imbalances.