White-nose syndrome has killed over 6 million North American bats since 2006, but probiotic treatments, antifungal applications, and habitat management are showing promise for welfare and conservation.
White-nose syndrome causes death through energetic exhaustion - infected bats rouse from torpor repeatedly during hibernation, burning fat reserves they cannot replenish in winter, and eventually starving. The welfare implications of this process for millions of individual bats are profound. Treatment programs that can reduce fungal load or support natural immunity represent genuine welfare interventions for individual animals as well as conservation efforts for populations.