A lethal fungal disease, white-nose syndrome, has been detected in a bat hibernaculum near Fort Smith in Canada's Northwest Territories. Biologists Jesika Reimer and Joanna Wilson observed bats with the characteristic white fungus in May, confirming the disease's presence in the region.
The fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), attacks bats' faces, wings, and arms during hibernation, causing them to awaken and deplete their energy reserves. This can lead to death from dehydration or starvation. Over the past 20 years, white-nose syndrome has killed more than 6.7 million bats across North America.
The discovery at Fort Smith, approximately 450 miles (725km) south of the Arctic Circle, marks the fungus's arrival at the northernmost known hibernaculum. This has prompted urgent questions about its potential impact on bat populations in Canada and Alaska, particularly smaller species like little brown bats and northern long-eared bats, which are especially vulnerable.
While laboratory tests confirmed white-nose syndrome, researchers did not observe the mass die-offs seen in more southerly caves. They are investigating whether the cooler temperatures of the northern caves, some dropping below freezing, might slow the fungus's growth. Scientists are also applying an experimental 'probiotic cocktail' to summer roosts, hoping it will spread among bats and help combat Pd.