Wildlife

Wild Bat White-Nose Syndrome Disease Impacts

White-nose syndrome, caused by a fungal pathogen, has devastated North American bat populations with over 6 million deaths.

Key Facts

Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) causes white-nose syndrome, killing hibernating bats
Little brown bat populations declined 90% in some regions within years of disease arrival
Infected bats arouse from hibernation in winter, burning fat reserves and dying of starvation
The pathogen originated in Europe where bats have co-evolved resistance
Probiotic treatments applied to bats or caves show promise in reducing mortality

Welfare Considerations

White-nose syndrome causes a prolonged and distressing death - affected bats wake repeatedly during hibernation, depleting energy reserves until starvation. Millions of individuals die each winter from this single disease. Probiotic and biocontrol approaches offer hope, but the welfare toll on remaining populations remains enormous.

What You Can Do

Support white-nose syndrome research and treatment development
Never enter caves or mines without decontaminating caving equipment between sites
Report unusual bat mortality to wildlife disease surveillance programmes
Advocate for funding of bat disease research in national wildlife budgets