White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that affects hibernating bats, has been confirmed in Nebraska after several dozen dead bats were discovered during a recent survey of a mine in Cass County.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., confirmed the disease in three bats from the mine – a little brown bat, a northern long-eared bat and a tri-colored bat.
Nebraska is the 30th state to confirm the presence of white-nose syndrome, which has killed more than 6 million bats since 2006. Additionally, the disease has been confirmed in five Canadian provinces.
“Finding bats with white-nose syndrome in Nebraska emphasizes the need to develop and implement new tools to manage the spread and reduce the severity of the impacts of this devastating disease,” said Jeremy Coleman, national white-nose syndrome coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In 2014 the Game and Parks Commission first began monitoring for the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. It was first detected it in the state in 2015 on bats sampled from another mine in Cass County.
It was then detected in 2016 on bats sampled from a Sarpy County mine, approximately 1.25 miles from the Cass County mine. Confirmation of white-nose syndrome in Nebraska follows a pattern observed in other states in which white-nose syndrome in bats occurs two to three years following first detection of the fungus. The new mine identified as positive for WNS had previously been surveyed for the fungus.
Bats are crucial to a healthy ecosystem. They eat insects that can damage agricultural crops, saving U.S. farmers at least $3 billion annually in pest-control services. Four bat species known to use mines in Nebraska are susceptible to white-nose syndrome: little brown, big brown, tri-colored, and northern long-eared bats. Indiana and northern long-eared bats are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
White-nose syndrome is not known to pose a threat to humans, pets or livestock. It is transmitted primarily from bat to bat, but fungal spores may inadvertently be carried to caves on humans’ clothing and gear.
Nebraskans can help bats by following all decontamination requirements if entering caves and continuing to avoid disturbing bats, especially during hibernation. For more information on decontaminating clothing, click here.
To learn more about the disease and the response to it, click here.