White-nose Syndrome in Bats: Conservation, Management, and Context-dependent Decision Making

摘要: White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease that affects hibernating bats and is caused by the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd; Lorch et al. 2011, Minnis and Lindner 2013). This cold-loving fungus infects unfurred skin of bats during hibernation, appearing as white fuzzy material on the wings, ears, and muzzle. The disease was first discovered in New York in 2006-2007 following mass mortality of bats observed during winter hibernacula surveys (Blehert et al. 2009). There is evidence the fungus was present along the east coast prior to 2005, with significant geographic spread occurring before the first dead bats were observed (Thapa et al. 2021). Pseudogymnoascus destructans is presumed to have been introduced to North America from Eurasia via human activities, where it is widespread on bats and within caves, yet does not cause substantial bat mortality or population declines in European or Asian species (Hoyt et al. 2020). Since its introduction to North America, Pd has continued to spread across the continent, infecting over a dozen species of bats (USFWS 2021b). Seasonal migrations and within-season movements of bats are primarily responsible for transmission of Pd through contact between bats or with environmental