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

2007 - 1 state, 5 hibernacula

2008 - 4 states, 42 known hibernacula

2009 – 9 states, 88 known hibernacula

Approx. 900 km

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

Simulations of Extinction for Myotis lucifigus

Frick, Reynolds, Pollock, and Kunz - 2009

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

13

2

68

5

4

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

Status of State Response/Recovery Plans

In development

Near completion

Complete

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

DRAFT WNS Organization Structure (v.7.5)

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

14 hibernating species of bats

occur only west of Great Plains

Paul Cryan