How does White Nose Syndrome affect bats and in turn affect humans?
The disease, White Nose Syndrome (WNS), is a deadly disease that affects bats primarily in North America. It is the result of a white fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructants, that grows on their nose and wings and infects the skin of hibernating bats. The disease causes the bats to wake up during the winter when they are supposed to be hibernating and use up their limited fat reserves. Typically, the disease will kill 70 to 90 percent of bats in a infected colony. In some cases, WNS has been known to wipe out whole caves. The disease can be spread from bat to bat or from human to bat. The jump of the disease from the Midwest to the West Coast was most definitely spread by humans. In Minnesota, 4 of the 8 species of bats are endangered because of WNS.
Although many people are scared of bats, bats are a huge asset to humans and the environment. One way they help is that bats kill thousands of crop pests and mosquitoes and keep the population down. Without this, the insect population would rise tremendously causing crop failure, economic damage and human illness. Also, bat guano (feces) is often the only food source for micro-organisms and invertebrates who live in caves, which in turn are food for fish, salamanders and other large animals. Some bats also pollinate fruit. There are only a few bat species that bite and cause rabies.
Although many people are scared of bats, bats are a huge asset to humans and the environment. One way they help is that bats kill thousands of crop pests and mosquitoes and keep the population down. Without this, the insect population would rise tremendously causing crop failure, economic damage and human illness. Also, bat guano (feces) is often the only food source for micro-organisms and invertebrates who live in caves, which in turn are food for fish, salamanders and other large animals. Some bats also pollinate fruit. There are only a few bat species that bite and cause rabies.