National Wildlife Health Center

White-Nose Syndrome in North American Bats—

U.S. Geological Survey Updates

White-Nose Syndrome in North American Bats—

White-nose syndrome (WNS), a devastating wildlife disease that has killed millions of hibernating bats since it 

first appeared in New York during 2007, continues to spread at an alarming rate from the northeastern to the 

central United States and throughout eastern Canada. White-nose syndrome was also recently confirmed in 

Washington, the only western State known to be affected as of December 2016. The disease is named for the fungus 

Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which often appears white when it infects the skin of the nose, ears, and wings of 

hibernating bats (fig. 1). To see a map of the States and Provinces where the disease has been detected, please visit 

https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/resources/map.

Figure 1 (above). A, Light microscopy image of Pseudogymnoascus 

destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS). 

(Photograph by D. Blehert). B, Hibernating little brown bat with white 

fungal growth on muzzle and wings typical of white-nose syndrome. 

(Photograph by Alan Hicks, New York Department of Environmental 

Conservation). C, Wings of a little brown bat infected with WNS; 

arrows show pale areas characteristic of infection by P. destructans.

(Photograph by C. Meteyer. Modified from Meteyer and others, 2011).

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been a leading contributor to the 

interagency response to WNS since 2008 and continues to provide ongoing 

scientific support to these efforts by performing fundamental research on 

bat ecology, fungal biology, and WNS epidemiology and pathology. Studies 

conducted by the USGS led to the discovery of WNS (Blehert and others, 

2009), initial characterization and naming of the cold-loving fungus (Gargas 

and others, 2009), development of standardized criteria for diagnosing the 

disease (Meteyer and others, 2009), confirmation that P. destructans is 

the cause of WNS (Lorch and others, 2011), and a better understanding 

of pathogen distribution and persistence in the environment (Lorch and 

others, 2012). 

Recent advances in field screening (Turner and others, 2014; fig. 2) and 

laboratory diagnostic techniques (Muller and others, 2012) have facilitated 

expanded surveillance to more accurately track the spread of P. destructans. 

Building on these advances, the USGS National Wildlife Health Center

is assisting State and Federal partners with active surveillance for WNS 

and P. destructans throughout the Southeastern, Midwestern, and Western 

regions of the United States. Early detection of P. destructans in bat populations provides wildlife managers with more time to prepare site-specific 

strategies to mitigate the potential impacts of WNS. 

To determine if bats are affected by WNS, scientists look for a characteristic 

microscopic pattern of skin erosion caused by P. destructans (Meteyer and 

others, 2009). Field signs of WNS can include visible white fungal growth 

on the bat’s muzzle or wings (fig. 3), but these signs alone are not a reliable 

Figure 2. Wing of a bat affected by white-nose syndrome (WNS) under 

ultraviolet light. Areas affected by WNS appear yellow-orange under 

ultraviolet light. Use of ultraviolet light provides a useful tool in field 

and rehabilitation settings to screen bats for signs suggestive of WNS. 

Additional laboratory diagnostic testing is required to confirm a WNS 

diagnosis. (Modified from Turner and others, 2014).

A

B

C

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2016–3084

December 2016 Printed on recycled paper
indicator of disease—laboratory examination and testing are 

required for disease confirmation. Infected bats also arouse 

from hibernation more frequently than uninfected bats (Reeder 

and others, 2012) and often display abnormal behaviors at their 

underground hibernation sites, such as congregating at or near 

entrances and daytime flights in freezing temperatures; overall, 

infection with P. destructans results in a cascade of physiologic 

disturbances that can lead to death from dehydration or starvation. Harmful effects of infection occur even before notable 

clinical signs of illness or behavioral changes are observed 

(Verant and others, 2014).

The relatively widespread mortality associated with WNS is 

unprecedented in hibernating bats. In particular, populations of 

little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) have been heavily impacted 

and may become locally or regionally extirpated because of 

the disease (Frick and others, 2010). Although small numbers 

of bats have recently been found persisting and reproducing 

in areas where populations had previously declined precipitously (Reichard and others, 2014), these remnant populations 

will require protection from other potential threats to support 

survival and breeding success. Even with such protections, 

recovery will likely be slow as reproductive females of most bat 

species produce only a single pup per year. Long-term bat population monitoring will be critical to fully understand the potential for bats to rebound from this devastating disease and to 

guide sound management decisions (Russell and others, 2015).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordinates Federal, State, 

and Tribal agencies, and nongovernmental partners on national 

efforts to investigate and respond to WNS (U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, 2011). These interagency efforts have fostered considerable collaboration, including the development 

of a National Plan, and have led to substantial advances in the 

understanding of WNS (please visit www.whitenosesyndrome.

org for more information on the interagency effort). Researchers from the USGS are working closely with diverse partners to 

conduct surveillance to monitor the spread of P. destructans, to 

develop mitigation strategies to limit the expansion of WNS, to 

reduce population losses, and to support recovery of impacted 

bat populations. This includes researching potential management approaches such as the use of microbial or chemical means 

to inhibit growth of P. destructans in hibernation environments 

and the development of potential vaccine candidates against 

P. destructans.

Bats are unique and valuable animals. They eat insects that 

damage crops and carry diseases, and many bat species also play 

important roles in plant pollination and seed dispersal. Future 

research can help us learn more about bats and examine the 

potential ecological consequences of bat population declines 

caused by WNS.

Figure 3. U.S. Geological Survey scientist David Blehert inspects a bat for 

signs of wing damage from white-nose syndrome. (Photograph: Jennifer Redell, 

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources).

USGS Contributions to Understanding 

White-Nose Syndrome

The USGS works closely with Federal, State, and 

Tribal agencies; bat conservation groups; and cavers 

to better understand this devastating disease and to 

support management efforts. Support to WNS response 

includes

• diagnosing WNS in bats submitted to the National 

Wildlife Health Center by Federal, State, and Tribal 

agencies;

• investigating environmental factors that influence 

P. destructans survival in hibernation sites;

• conducting studies on WNS transmission, spread, 

and prevention;

• developing improved tools and strategies for WNS 

detection and P. destructans surveillance;

• investigating the microbial ecology of bat hibernation 

sites and bat skin;

• observing hibernating bats to understand behavioral 

changes associated with WNS;

• studying the physiologic effects of P. destructans

infection that contribute to illness and death;

• researching strategies to prevent WNS and to help 

bat populations recover;

• communicating with the public, policymakers, 

natural resource managers, and scientists; and

• publishing scientific reports that 

contribute to understanding 

of WNS.

Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus),

by S. M. Bishop. cc c
North American Bat Species Affected by WNS Include (as of December 2016) 1

 Federally endangered

 2 Federally threatened

Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis1

), by Andrew Kniowski, Department of Fish and 

Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech.

Eastern small-footed bat (Myotis leibii), by Virginia State Parks.

Tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus),

by Larisa Bishop-Boros. 

Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), by Ann Froschauer, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Gray bat (Myotis grisescens1

), by Larisa Bishop-Boros. Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis2), by Pete Patavino,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

cc c

cc c
References Cited

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Frick, W.F., Pollock, J.F., Hicks, Alan, Langwig, Kate, Reynolds, D.S., Turner, G.G., Butchowski, Calvin, and Kunz, 

T.H., 2010, An emerging disease causes regional population 

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0010-4.

By Emily W. Lankau and Gail Moede Rogall

For additional information contact:

USGS National Wildlife Health Center

6006 Schroeder Road

Madison, WI 53711

(608) 270-2400

http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov

http://www.whitenosesyndrome.org

ISSN 2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20163084