WNS Detected In Wisconsin

[David Riggs]

Breaking news late in the 2014 season, Wisconsin WDNR have discovered
White-Nose Syndrome at a single mine site in Grant County, WI.

Press Release:

http://dnr.wi.gov/news/BreakingNews_Lookup.asp?id=3169

"""
Results from visual inspection and genetic and tissue tests completed
earlier this month showed that 2 percent of bats in a single mine in
southwestern Wisconsin had [WNS], according to Erin Crain, who leads
the Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Conservation
Program.

DNR bat crews had been wrapping up winter surveillance efforts for
2014 when they discovered 11 individual bats with the classic signs of
white-nose syndrome in the Grant County mine. The mine is within
flying distance for bats from a site in Ilinois where white-nose
syndrome had been confirmed in 2012.

The same mine had been examined as recently as December 2013 as part
of a study and had no visual signs of white-nose syndrome at that
time, Crain says. All four species of bats that hibernate in Wisconsin
cave and mines have been documented in this particular mine during
surveys in recent years.

At this time, the discovery in the Grant County mine appears to be an
isolated occurrence. DNR's visual surveys of 85 other mine and cave
sites this winter did not find any other signs of white-nose syndrome,
however, DNR is awaiting results from genetic tests underway from
samples collected at 19 of those other sites as part of the routine
sampling.

Wisconsin is home to several of the upper Midwest's largest bat
hibernation sites and historical estimates have put the population at
350,000 to 500,000 bats.
"""

- DR

--
David A. Riggs
Myotisoft, LLC
13788 Mountaineer Dr.
Riverton, WV 26814
http://www.myotisoft.com
dri...@myotisoft.com
mobile: (304) 685-7537
office: (304) 873-MYSO