A dangerous disease that has massacred millions of bats in the United States has been detected once again. This time, the disease has infiltrated the gray bats of Tennessee. These bats are already an endangered species. Government scientists say that the sickness is devastating, and believe there is a large possibility that the carriers won't survive. White-nose syndrome is named after the fungal residue that is left on the muzzles of bats infected. The sickness is spread from bat-to-bat contact, but scientists speculate that it is transmitted through contact, not airborne bacteria.
The cave-dwelling Tennessee gray bats were added to the U.S. endangered species list in 1976, and have been holding steady under the endangered species line for years. Yet this outbreak of white-nose syndrome might finish off what is left of the species. The gray bat is the second federally protected animal in the US. So far, the white-nose syndrome has killed about 5.5 million bats, mostly from New York. These winged mammals live in caves and mines all throughout the US, though gray bats tend to stay in Tennessee and surrounding areas.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service Director told the Chicago Tribune that these bats help humankind by eating all sorts of insects. They save agricultural industries billions in pest-control costs, and their droppings provide nutrients for other cave-dwelling mammals. Scientists believe that pest-control spending in Tennessee will escalate if the bats die. Therefore, they are willing to spend millions on research that might help to save these animals. Right now, veterinarians have confirmed cases of white-nose syndrome in bats in two counties in the state. The governments in many states have closed down caves and mines in order to check and see if the bats there are infected with the disease.
Scientists say that the illness may also be transmitted from people's clothing to the bats, and they want to be extra careful to take every precaution right now. The disease does not kill bats by ravaging them internally. Instead, it allows them to wake from their hibernation in the winter months too early. During this time there are not a lot of insects out flying about. The bats awake and fly around in the daylight during the winter, and cannot find food to sustain themselves. As a result, they starve and die. In some caves where the illness if present, the bat mortality rate can exceed 90 percent.
Currently, biologists and veterinarians are searching for a cure to the dangerous illness. If they can't treat the bats before winter arrives, then many of the small mammals will be lost, and the gray bats may become extinct. As far as biologists know, the white-nose syndrome has never spread to other animals. Your pets, such as dogs or cats, will not catch the disease, even if they come in contact with a bat. As well, humans cannot contract white-nose syndrome.
Other states like Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas are taking steps to close their caves and inspecting them for cases of the white-nose syndrome. Like Tennessee, these countries have agriculture which is protected from pests by these bats. Many vets will continue to experiment with cures and determine why the bats are catching this disease. To help cure the white nose bats, you may want to build a bat house on your property. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has materials that can teach you how to build a haven for these creatures. You can also take care of bats by minimizing disturbances to the natural habitat around your home. Stay out of caves and mines that have been closed because of the bats. Hopefully, if everyone does their part, the bats will be able to live on for years to come and provide help to farmers.