Here are four brief reports on WNS in Virginia sent to VARList by Wil Orndorff. The most interesting thing to me is that some of the affected bats _do not_ show Geomyces infestation. This supports the hypothesis that the underlying cause of WNS is something else, and the fungal infection is secondary.
Mark Minton 1) Confirmation of Newberry-Banes Bats WNS Results were received last week about the Newberry-Bane Cave bats 3 male Little browns were necropsied. Geomyces sp. fungus was cultured from one of the three, while "mixed fungal growth not consistent with Geomyces" was cultured from the other two. All three bats were in good body condition. Note that over 10% of the bats in areas the collecting team visited exhibited fungus on their wings and muzzles consistent in appearance with WNS. National Wildlife Health Center advises to proceed assuming the cave is infected with WNS. ----------------------------------- 2) Endless Caverns Bats from National Wildlife Health Center communique: "3 bats were examined and all appeared in fair to good body conditions. No significant internal lesions were observed. All had mixed fungal growth on either their muzzle, wings or both but none appeared Geomyces-like. PCR results and histopathology are also pending on these 3 bats." So WNS, as defined by the presence of Geomyces sp. fungus, is NOT confirmed at Endless Caverns. PCR and histopathology will tell us more. --- Possible interpretations. 1 - Not WNS 2 - WNS is enabling growth of multiple fungal species on bats, and therefore the fungus itself is not the primary culprit. 3 - ??? -------------------------------- 3) Cumberland County Bat The one bat submitted to date from the Virginia Piedmont for possible WNS did not turn up positive for Geomyces sp. It was in poor body condition, however, and did have a mixed fungal growth. -------------------------------- 4) Possible WNS in Smyth County DGIF and DCR staff visited Hancock Cave on Thursday in response to caver reports of WNS-like fungal growth on bats in the cave. A few pipistrelles with significant fungal growth on wings and muzzles were collected fairly close to the entrance and shipped to the National Wildlife Health Center for necropsy and other analyses. If this site turns out to indeed be WNS, and all indications are that it is, the disease is now in the Upper Tennessee River Basin, no more than 6 miles from the nearest Gray Bat summer colony in Marion, VA. -----------------------------------
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