Deadly fungus that has led to the death of millions of bats detected in Louisiana

(LDWF) – Little Brown Bat; close up of nose with fungus, New York, Oct. 2008. Credit: Ryan von Linden/New York Department of Environmental Conservation

LDWF: White-nose syndrome "is not contagious to humans or other animals"

by: Michael Scheidt

Posted: Mar 30, 2022 / 01:30 PM AST

Updated: Mar 30, 2022 / 01:33 PM AST

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BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — It has been 15 years since the first case of White-nose syndrome was initially found in the United States.

A little over 15 years later, “the fungus that causes White-nose Syndrome (WNS) in bats, was detected in Louisiana for the first time,” according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

The fungus is called Pseudogymnoascus destructans.

So just how deadly is White-nose syndrome?

LDWF says, “Since the initial detection, the disease has resulted in the deaths of more than 6 million bats in North America.”

This deadly disease has been located in 37 states.

In terms of Louisiana, the fungus was found for the first time in Natchitoches Parish last year.

If particular environmental conditions are present, bats can die from this fungus.

“Hibernating bats are susceptible to infection by the fungus during hibernation, when body temperature decreases,” according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

So what does the White-nose syndrome do to bats?

LDWF says, “The cold-loving fungus invades their skin, leading to dehydration and starvation along with other signs of illness.”

If you see a bat flying around during hibernation season when it is light outside, that is one sign that a bat may have White-nose syndrome.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is going to continue to keep an eye on this disease and what they call “susceptible bat colonies throughout the state.”