Monday March 18, 2013, 12:19 pm
Noted with much distress. This is a disaster of epic proportions. Both the natural ecological chain and we humans need bats to survive. I sincerely hope they find a cure and can halt this devastating disease. Thanks J.L.

Monday March 18, 2013, 12:23 pm

I read this early this morning in MJ, sorry to say but we made our beds......

Monday March 18, 2013, 12:43 pm


Mother Jones
Deadly Bat Fungus Now in 22 States
White-nose syndrome is bad news for bats—and our food system.

By John R. Platt | Wed Mar. 13, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

This story [1] first appeared on Scientific American's Extinction Countdown [2] blog.

A dead tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) found at Table Rock State Park in South Carolina has tested positive for Geomyces destructans [3], the deadly and mysterious fungus that has killed millions of bats since it was first observed in February 2006. The fungus has now been found in 22 US states and five Canadian provinces [4].

When visible, G. destructans manifests as a fuzzy white patch on bats' noses, wings and other hairless parts of their body, a condition that yielded the name white-nose syndrome [5] (WNS). Scientists do not yet know if the fungus itself is killing the bats or if it is just a symptom of whatever else is causing the deaths. What we do know is that bat populations that contract the fungus have a 70 to 100 percent mortality rate. There is no known cure or treatment. The fungus thrives only in cold conditions, so WNS appears to threaten only hibernating bats at this time.

Here's where the disease has been found:
Bats have tested positive for white-nose syndrome in 22 eastern states.

"The news that white-nose syndrome has been confirmed in South Carolina is devastating for these very important mammals," Mary Bunch, wildlife biologist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR), said in a prepared release [6]. "We will continue to work closely with our partners to understand the spread of this deadly disease and to help minimize its impacts to affected bat species."
The loss of North American bats could lead to agricultural losses of more than $3.7 billion per year.

According to the South Carolina state agency, the tri-colored bat colony in Table Rock State Park lives in an isolated region where the general public can’t reach them, so there is no threat of human contact. Some scientists fear that people may be transmitting the fungus from cave to cave, although its most obvious transmission path is bat to bat.

Other bat species living in South Carolina that could become exposed to WNS include the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), Eastern small-footed bat (M. leibii), Northern long-eared bat (Nyctophilus arnhemensis) and Southeastern bat (M. austroriparius). None of these species are currently listed as endangered, but we have already seen bat populations across the northeast plummet due to WNS, so this is a bad sign for all of South Carolina's bats.

Bats have an important role in regulating insect populations, a function that is vital to successful agriculture. A recent study found that the loss of North American bats could lead to agricultural losses of more than $3.7 billion per year [7].
Source URL: http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2013/03/map-deadly-bat-fungus-now-22-states

Links:
[1] http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/2013/03/11/bats-killing-fungus-reaches-south-carolina/
[2] http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/
[3] http://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/about/fungus
[4] http://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/about/where-is-it-now
[5] http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown?s=white+nose+syndrome
[6] http://dnr.sc.gov/news/yr2013/march14/march14_batwns.html
[7] http://www.fort.usgs.gov/Products/Publications/pub_abstract.asp?PubID=23069

Monday March 18, 2013, 12:43 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Tamara because you have done so within the last day.
You cannot currently send a star to Kit because you have done so within the last day.

Monday March 18, 2013, 4:48 pm
This is so sad. I hope a cure can be found and soon. Our world is incomplete without Bats in it. Great info,thanks JL.

Monday March 18, 2013, 4:51 pm
You are welcome Natasha. You cannot currently send a star to Natasha because you have done so within the last day.

Monday March 18, 2013, 4:52 pm
Human beings will find their humility. History is replete with examples of ideas of supremacy being torn down, by all manner of destruction. Our humility will save us, before any concept of supremacy. In humility we learn from wisdom and not the illusion of control. Generations that are being born will face this truth. Our spiritual consciousness will shake to our core. I guess sometimes when we don't listen to our better angels, we have other energies to reckon with and find out how to live better lives. I keep my thoughts on the positive, that we will learn more, do more good, solve greater problems in the future than we have done in all of history. With all the information and knowledge we're gathering, we can do that!!!
All that nature, culture, and society face now command that we do!

Monday March 18, 2013, 5:14 pm
Noted & posted

Monday March 18, 2013, 6:11 pm

SAVE PLANET EARTH

Monday March 18, 2013, 6:42 pm
Thanks for sharing Theodore. Thanks for posting the link to the relevant, wonderful short video Terry! You cannot currently send a star to Terry because you have done so within the last day.

Monday March 18, 2013, 7:50 pm
Very bad news. Funny how they are always so fast at figuring out the cost of loss before telling the cost of finding the cure to combat these costs. Thx JL

Monday March 18, 2013, 7:55 pm
True Angelika--it has been very hard to get any funds allocated to address this problem despite the major expected costs. You are welcome. You cannot currently send a star to Angelika because you have done so within the last day.

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 4:50 am
Horrible for these poor bats, but if this white nose syndrome has been around since 2006 why haven't we found out by now what can be done to eradicate it and save the bats?

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 5:38 am
First the bees now the bats Wonder why they cant find out whats causing it

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 8:25 am
Thank you so much

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 9:16 am
You are welcome Suheyla.
You cannot currently send a star to Carol because you have done so within the last day.

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 9:37 am
Follow the money.
Research costs money.
We already know this.
If our nation does not care about poor PEOPLE, how much less does it care about the creatures of our ecology/environment.
As I just said...we already know this.

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 9:46 am
P.S.
I am NO scientist but, I have a theory.
Bats and bees. They already suspect (probably proven but again no one cares) that bee deaths are due to pesticides/fertilizers. I'll bet bat fungus can be traced back to these too. Fungus, bacteria, etc can be found in the billions NATURALLY. But if the IMMUNE systems of these creatures become corrupted/weakened (just as in humans), the natural... BECOMES DEADLY.
Just a couch thinker's theory...LoL

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 9:48 am
You cannot currently send a star to Beverly because you have done so within the last day.

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 4:19 pm
I'm in sympathy with Beverly T's thoughts on the cause of this disaster. Nature is crying out to us that we are out of tune with the planet and we'd best do something about it, or suffer the consequences.

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 4:35 pm
Very sad since they are such an intricate part of pest control.

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 4:39 pm
Thanks

Tuesday March 19, 2013, 5:01 pm
You are welcome Birgit.
You cannot currently send a star to Theodore because you have done so within the last day.

Wednesday March 20, 2013, 2:33 am
Poor bats.

Wednesday March 20, 2013, 7:34 am
Noted, thanks.

Wednesday March 20, 2013, 11:17 am
thanks noted

Wednesday March 20, 2013, 12:14 pm
You are welcome Kerrie and Marcel.