Northern Kentucky University
White Nose Syndrome in Bats: Study 1: (Kaiser) Commensal Fungi Found on Bats from Cumberland Gap Caverns
Institution
Northern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Hazel Barton; Marcelo Kramer
Abstract
White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has been responsible for the death of more than 1,000,000 bats since 2006, when the first confirmed case was documented in New York. WNS is caused by a previously unrecognized fungus, Geomyces destructans which grows on the muzzle, ears, and wing membrane of bats. With the continued spread of WNS, little is known about the fungi that naturally occur on bats, so the aim of this research is to identify the natural commensal fungi of bats. To do this, ten bats were sampled from three different species Myotis lucifugus, Myotis sodalis, Myotis pipistrelle, in two different cave environments. By understanding the normal fungal populations of bats, we maybe be able to understand which bats are at greater risk from this pathogen and whether protective commensal species can be identified.
White Nose Syndrome in Bats: Study 1: (Kaiser) Commensal Fungi Found on Bats from Cumberland Gap Caverns
White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has been responsible for the death of more than 1,000,000 bats since 2006, when the first confirmed case was documented in New York. WNS is caused by a previously unrecognized fungus, Geomyces destructans which grows on the muzzle, ears, and wing membrane of bats. With the continued spread of WNS, little is known about the fungi that naturally occur on bats, so the aim of this research is to identify the natural commensal fungi of bats. To do this, ten bats were sampled from three different species Myotis lucifugus, Myotis sodalis, Myotis pipistrelle, in two different cave environments. By understanding the normal fungal populations of bats, we maybe be able to understand which bats are at greater risk from this pathogen and whether protective commensal species can be identified.