Current Status of the Research and Management of Bat White-Nose Syndrome Jeremy T. H. Coleman...
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Transcript of Current Status of the Research and Management of Bat White-Nose Syndrome Jeremy T. H. Coleman...
Current Status of the Research and Management ofBat White-Nose Syndrome
Jeremy T. H. ColemanNational WNS Coordinator, US Fish & Wildlife ServiceNortheast Region Biologists Conference
Baltimore, Maryland, 17 February, 2011
WNS
• WNS presents a novel disease and resource management problem
• Managing WNS poses considerable biological and social challenges, with complex coordination needs
• Over 100 agencies, NGOs, and universities involved
• A National Plan has been developed to build on accomplishments to date and enhance coordination
WNS – An Unprecedented Crisis
What is White-Nose Syndrome?
Jonathan ReichardAlan Hicks Carol Meteyer
David Blehert
Alan Hicks
USFWS
Bat Species in the U.S. & CanadaSpecies name Common name Species name Common name
1 Mormoops megalophylla Ghost-faced bat 1 Myotis auriculus Mexican long-eared bat2 Choeronycteris mexicana Mexican long-tongued bat 2 Myotis austroriparius Southeastern bat3 Leptonycteris nivalis Greater long-nosed bat 3 Myotis californicus California bat4 Leptonycteris yerbabuenae Lesser long-nosed bat 4 Myotis ciliolabrum Western small-footed bat5 Macrotus californicus California leaf-nosed bat 5 Myotis evotis Western long-eared bat6 Lasionycteris noctivagans Silver-haired bat 6 Myotis grisescens Gray bat7 Lasiurus blossevillii Western red bat 7 Myotis keenii Keen's bat8 Lasiurus borealis Eastern red bat 8 Myotis leibii Eastern small-footed bat9 Lasiurus cinereus Hoary bat 9 Myotis lucifugus Little brown bat
10 Lasiurus ega Southern yellow bat 10 Myotis occultus Occult bat11 Lasiurus intermedius Northern yellow bat 11 Myotis septentrionalis Northern long-eared bat12 Lasiurus seminolus Seminole bat 12 Myotis sodalis Indiana bat13 Lasiurus xanthinus Western yellow bat 13 Myotis thysanodes Fringed bat14 Eumops floridanus Florida bonneted bat 14 Myotis velifer Cave bat15 Eumops perotis Greater mastiff bat 15 Myotis volans Long-legged bat16 Eumops underwoodi Underwood's mastiff bat 16 Myotis yumanensis Yuma bat17 Molossus molossus Pallas' mastiff bat 17 Nycticeius humeralis Evening bat18 Nyctinomops femorosaccus Pocketed free-tailed bat 18 Parastrellus hesperus Canyon bat19 Nyctinomops macrotis Big free-tailed bat 19 Perimyotis subflavus Tricolored bat20 Tadarida brasiliensis Brazilian free-tailed bat 20 Corynorhinus townsendii Townsend's big-eared bat
21 Corynorhinus rafinesquii Rafinesque's big-eared bat
22 Eptesicus fuscus Big brown bat23 Antrozous pallidus Pallid bat24 Euderma maculatum Spotted bat25 Idionycteris phyllotis Allen's big-eared bat
MIGRANTS OR SPECIES NOT KNOWN TO HIBERNATE SPECIES THAT HIBERNATE
Source: Paul Cryan, USGS
June 2010: 13 States, 2 Provinces, 160+ affected sites
Select non-cave locs.
Southeastern bat(Myotis austroriparius)
Cave bat(Myotis velifer)
Gray bat(Myotis grisescens)
Approx. 2200 km
Feb. 2011: 16 States, 2 Provinces, 160+ affected sites
Select non-cave locs.
Indiana
North Carolina
2011
Graphite Mine, NY – April 2009
Photo and data: Alan Hicks, NYSDEC
2000 2010
Little brown myotis 183,542 2,049
Northern myotis 440 0
Indiana myotis 104
0
Tri-colored bat 194 2
E. small-footed myotis 721 485
Big brown bat 18 9
New York Sites - Complete Counts
16,134
10,336
0
2500
5000
7500
10000
12500
15000
17500
20000
1985/6 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Year
Co
un
t
0
250
500
750
1000
1250
1500
1750
2000
Co
un
t
Hailes Cave
Williams LakeSchoharie Cavern
Knox Cave
Gages Cave
Howe's CaveFriends Lake
Source of data: A. Hicks, NYSDEC
What We Know About WNS
• Over 95% mortality at many affected hibernacula
• 6 cave bat species affected, w/ fungus detected on 3 additional
• Susceptibility may differ by bat species or with microclimate
• Specific fungal infection is common to affected sites and
defines the disease
• Still no evidence of bacterial, viral, or parasitic cause
• The fungus can persist in caves in the absence of bats
• Bats can become infected from an affected environment
• A newly described fungal species
• Optimal growth at 5-14° C
What We Know About WNS Fungus:
Geomyces destructans
Photo by D. Berndt, NWHC
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
0 10 20 30
Temperature (ºC)
Gro
wth
(m
m/d
ay)
• A newly described fungal species
• Optimal growth at 5-14° C
• Invades skin tissue of hibernating bats
• Genetically similar fungal isolates found
at multiple affected hibernacula in the U.S. (also sediment)
• Bat-to-bat transmission has been demonstrated – NWHC
• Conidia (spores) have been found sticking to exposed
gear
• Genome has been sequenced - Broad Institute, NWHC
• G. destructans has been found on European bats
What We Know About WNS Fungus:
Geomyces destructans
Photo by D. Berndt, NWHC
WNS: A European Connection?
Rene Guttinger
Hungary
Tamas Gorfol
Switzerland
Netherlands
Anne Jifke-Haarsma
• Disease transmission• Cause of mortality • Treatment and control • Diagnostics and surveillance• Etiology and persistence of Gd• Conservation• Population monitoring
General Research Priorities
Currently Funded Research (partial)• Immune response of hibernating bats & post-exposure
• Behavior and physiology of hibernation
• Population-level impacts (local and range-wide)
• Contaminants – pesticides and environmental
• Genetics – predisposition, post-exposure, & fungal
• Disinfection/Decontamination & Gd in the environment
• Prospects for captive management
• Dynamics of transmission
• Epidemiological modeling
• Improving detection of Gd on bats & in environment
• Susceptibility & potential for resistance
Antifungal Treatments
• Some success in the lab• Limited field trials have not been successful• Two projects funded by Comp SWG states
Some Accomplishments in Managing WNS
• WNS investigation team and partnerships• Coordination structure and Task Groups established in 2008
• FWS webpage: http://www.fws.gov/WhiteNoseSyndrome
• Research support and coordination (RFPs)
• State support (SWGs and small grants)
• Guidance:
- Containment
- Structured Decision Making (SDM) initiatives
- White papers: rehabilitation, surveillance-monitoring, genetics,...
- State plan template
• National and state planning
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Region Coordinator Location
National Jeremy Coleman Cortland - Hadley
Nat’l Asst. TBD Hadley, MA
Nat’l Comm. Ann Froschauer Hadley, MA
1 Guppy Blair Ahsahka, ID
2 Paul Barrett Albuquerque, NM
3 Richard Geboy Bloomington, IN
4 Mike Armstrong Frankfort, KY
5 Alison Whitlock Hadley, MA
6 TBD
8 Larry Rabin Sacramento, CA
NWRS R9 Donita Cotter Arlington, VA
Management Focusing on Containment
Decontamination Protocols- recently updated, Jan 2011(http://www.fws.gov/WhiteNoseSyndrome/pdf/WNSDecontaminationProtocol_v012511.pdf)
- Decontamination Protocol Committee
Cave Advisory – March, 2009 Due to threat of human transmission, USFWS recommends that people stay out of caves and abandoned mines and not transport caving gear.
- Currently under revision
• Fall 2009, FWS funded VBEB project
• February 2010, FWS formed a captive management workgroup to investigate the potential for ex-situ actions• Short-term holding• Full propagation • Cryopreservation
• July 2010, St. Louis workshop
• SDM project
Captive Management
Jeff Hajenga, WVDNR
WNS National PlanPurpose:To guide the response of Federal, State, and Tribal agencies, and partners
to WNS
Multi-agency input: USFWS, USGS, NPS, USFS, DOD, APHIS, BLM, AFWA & States, St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
Establishes an organizational structure with oversight up to the Washington level
Formally establishes 7 working groups:1. Communications2. Data and Technical Information Management3. Diagnostics 4. Disease Management 5. Etiological and Epidemiological Research6. Disease Surveillance 7. Conservation and Recovery
Two stages:
1. National Plan
- The framework - not prescriptive
- A static document
2. Implementation Plan
- Identifies players & costs
- Provides guidance
- An adaptive plan, web based
WNS National Plan
Petitions
Listing Petitions:• January 2010, CBD petitioned to list:
- Eastern small-footed bat
- Northern long-eared bat
• December 2010, request for status review:- Little brown bat
CBD Cave Petition:• January 2010
- Feds to close all caves
- Transfer of materials to be considered “Take”
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the great many people who are working on WNS, including State and Federal Agents, NGOs, Researchers, and Private Partners
Special Thanks to the WNS Coordinators and extended FWS WNS team Contributors to this talk:Paul Cryan, Alan Hicks, Andy Lowell, & Rob Tawes