White-nose Syndrome continues to spread....Ohio and New Brunswick now have the disease eating away at our Bat populations......Bat Conservation International Boss Nina Fascione tells us more about this killing pathogen

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From: Bat Conservation International <newsletter@batcatalog.com>
To: Meril, Rick
Sent: Sat Apr 02 22:28:52 2011
Subject: White-nose Syndrome update

Dear Members,

Ohio and New Brunswick, Canada, have joined the grim list of states and provinces facing White-nose Syndrome (WNS), the deadly disease that threatens to devastate bat populations across North America. Ohio is the 17th U.S. state hit by the disease or the fungus that's associated with it. New Brunswick is the third Canadian province where WNS has been confirmed.

Ohio's first WNS case was found in a hibernating bat in an abandoned mine at Wayne National Forest in southeastern Ohio. In Canada, New Brunswick Museum researchers confirmed WNS after finding more than 1,000 dead bats in a major bat-hibernation site in southeastern New Brunswick.

We knew we would see expansion of WNS into new states and counties this year, so this news is not surprising. But it is still heartbreaking. We are particularly concerned for the federally endangered Indiana bats that roost in that region of Ohio. WNS is yet another threat to this species, which has already been declining due to habitat loss.

Biologists and researchers, including BCI staff and our state and federal natural resources agency partners, are working day and night to find methods to slow the spread of WNS. Funding is desperately needed. Please donate to support WNS research and other critical bat conservation needs. All contributions will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Nina Fascione
Executive Director
Bat Conservation International

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