scholarly journals Resistance in persisting bat populations after white-nose syndrome invasion

2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1712) ◽  
pp. 20160044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate E. Langwig ◽  
Joseph R. Hoyt ◽  
Katy L. Parise ◽  
Winifred F. Frick ◽  
Jeffrey T. Foster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
The Face ◽  
Declining Populations ◽  
Little Brown Bat ◽  
Declining Species

Increases in anthropogenic movement have led to a rise in pathogen introductions and the emergence of infectious diseases in naive host communities worldwide. We combined empirical data and mathematical models to examine changes in disease dynamics in little brown bat ( Myotis lucifugus ) populations following the introduction of the emerging fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans , which causes the disease white-nose syndrome. We found that infection intensity was much lower in persisting populations than in declining populations where the fungus has recently invaded. Fitted models indicate that this is most consistent with a reduction in the growth rate of the pathogen when fungal loads become high. The data are inconsistent with the evolution of tolerance or an overall reduced pathogen growth rate that might be caused by environmental factors. The existence of resistance in some persisting populations of little brown bats offers a glimmer of hope that a precipitously declining species will persist in the face of this deadly pathogen. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Human influences on evolution, and the ecological and societal consequences’.

scholarly journals Field trial of a probiotic bacteria and a chemical, chitosan, to protect bats from white-nose syndrome

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph R. Hoyt ◽  
Kate E. Langwig ◽  
J. Paul White ◽  
Heather M. Kaarakka ◽  
Jennifer A. Redell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Field Trial ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Probiotic Bacterium ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Probiotic Bacteria ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Overwinter Survival ◽  
Cage Experiment ◽  
White Nose Syndrome

AbstractTools for reducing wildlife disease impacts are needed to conserve biodiversity. White-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungusPseudogymnoascus destructans, has caused widespread declines in North American bat populations and threatens several species with extinction. Few tools exist for managers to reduce WNS impacts. We tested the efficacy of two treatments, a probiotic bacterium,Pseudomonas fluorescens, and a chemical, chitosan, to reduce impacts of WNS in two simultaneous experiments conducted with caged and free-flyingMyotis lucifugusbats at a mine in Wisconsin, USA. In the free-flying experiment, treatment withP. fluorescensincreased apparent overwinter survival five-fold compared to the control group (from 8.4% to 46.2%) by delaying emergence of bats from the site by 30 days. Apparent overwinter survival for free-flying chitosan-treated bats was 18.0%, which did not differ significantly from control bats. In the cage experiment, chitosan-treated bats had significantly higher survival until release on March 8 (53%) than control andP. fluorescens-treated bats (both 27%). However, these differences were likely due to within-cage disturbance and not reduced WNS impacts, because chitosan-treated bats actually had significantly higher UV-fluorescence (a measure of disease severity), and body mass, not infection intensity, predicted mortality. Further, few of the bats released from the cage experiment were detected emerging from the mine, indicating that the survival estimates at the time of release did not carryover to overwinter survival. These results suggest that treatment of bats may reduce WNS mortality, but additional measures are needed to prevent declines.

scholarly journals Hepatic lipid signatures of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) at early stages of white-nose syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan L. Pannkuk ◽  
Nicole A. S.-Y. Dorville ◽  
Yvonne A. Dzal ◽  
Quinn E. Fletcher ◽  
Kaleigh J. O. Norquay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Fatty Acid Distribution ◽  
Eptesicus Fuscus ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Hepatic Lipid ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Big Brown Bats ◽  
Little Brown Bats

AbstractWhite-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emergent wildlife fungal disease of cave-dwelling, hibernating bats that has led to unprecedented mortalities throughout North America. A primary factor in WNS-associated bat mortality includes increased arousals from torpor and premature fat depletion during winter months. Details of species and sex-specific changes in lipid metabolism during WNS are poorly understood and may play an important role in the pathophysiology of the disease. Given the likely role of fat metabolism in WNS and the fact that the liver plays a crucial role in fatty acid distribution and lipid storage, we assessed hepatic lipid signatures of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) at an early stage of infection with the etiological agent, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). Differences in lipid profiles were detected at the species and sex level in the sham-inoculated treatment, most strikingly in higher hepatic triacylglyceride (TG) levels in E. fuscus females compared to males. Interestingly, several dominant TGs (storage lipids) decreased dramatically after Pd infection in both female M. lucifugus and E. fuscus. Increases in hepatic glycerophospholipid (structural lipid) levels were only observed in M. lucifugus, including two phosphatidylcholines (PC [32:1], PC [42:6]) and one phosphatidylglycerol (PG [34:1]). These results suggest that even at early stages of WNS, changes in hepatic lipid mobilization may occur and be species and sex specific. As pre-hibernation lipid reserves may aid in bat persistence and survival during WNS, these early perturbations to lipid metabolism could have important implications for management responses that aid in pre-hibernation fat storage.

scholarly journals Phylogenetics of a Fungal Invasion: Origins and Widespread Dispersal of White-Nose Syndrome

mBio ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin P. Drees ◽  
Jeffrey M. Lorch ◽  
Sebastien J. Puechmaille ◽  
Katy L. Parise ◽  
Gudrun Wibbelt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Phylogenetic Study ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Recent Introduction ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
The North

ABSTRACT Globalization has facilitated the worldwide movement and introduction of pathogens, but epizoological reconstructions of these invasions are often hindered by limited sampling and insufficient genetic resolution among isolates. Pseudogymnoascus destructans , a fungal pathogen causing the epizootic of white-nose syndrome in North American bats, has exhibited few genetic polymorphisms in previous studies, presenting challenges for both epizoological tracking of the spread of this fungus and for determining its evolutionary history. We used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from whole-genome sequencing and microsatellites to construct high-resolution phylogenies of P. destructans . Shallow genetic diversity and the lack of geographic structuring among North American isolates support a recent introduction followed by expansion via clonal reproduction across the epizootic zone. Moreover, the genetic relationships of isolates within North America suggest widespread mixing and long-distance movement of the fungus. Genetic diversity among isolates of P. destructans from Europe was substantially higher than in those from North America. However, genetic distance between the North American isolates and any given European isolate was similar to the distance between the individual European isolates. In contrast, the isolates we examined from Asia were highly divergent from both European and North American isolates. Although the definitive source for introduction of the North American population has not been conclusively identified, our data support the origin of the North American invasion by P. destructans from Europe rather than Asia. IMPORTANCE This phylogenetic study of the bat white-nose syndrome agent, P. destructans , uses genomics to elucidate evolutionary relationships among populations of the fungal pathogen to understand the epizoology of this biological invasion. We analyze hypervariable and abundant genetic characters (microsatellites and genomic SNPs, respectively) to reveal previously uncharacterized diversity among populations of the pathogen from North America and Eurasia. We present new evidence supporting recent introduction of the fungus to North America from a diverse Eurasian population, with limited increase in genetic variation in North America since that introduction.

scholarly journals White-nose syndrome restructures bat skin microbiomes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan Ange-Stark ◽  
Tina L. Cheng ◽  
Joseph R. Hoyt ◽  
Kate E. Langwig ◽  
Katy L. Parise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Species ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Skin Microbiome ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Pathogen Invasion ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Bacterial Microbiome ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractThe skin microbiome is an essential line of host defense against pathogens, yet our understanding of microbial communities and how they change when hosts become infected is limited. We investigated skin microbial composition in three North American bat species (Myotis lucifugus,Eptesicus fuscus, andPerimyotis subflavus) that have been impacted by the infectious disease, white-nose syndrome, caused by an invasive fungal pathogen,Pseudogymnoascus destructans. We compared bacterial and fungal composition from 154 skin swab samples and 70 environmental samples using a targeted 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon approach. We found that forM. lucifugus, a species that experiences high mortality from white-nose syndrome, bacterial microbiome diversity was dramatically lower whenP. destructansis present. Key bacterial families—including those potentially involved in pathogen defense—significantly differed in abundance in bats infected withP. destructanscompared to uninfected bats. However, skin bacterial diversity was not lower inE. fuscusorP. subflavuswhenP. destructanswas present, despite populations of the latter species declining sharply from white-nose syndrome. The fungal species present on bats substantially overlapped with the fungal taxa present in the environment at the site where the bat was sampled, but fungal community composition was unaffected by the presence ofP. destructansfor any of the three bat species. This species-specific alteration in bat skin bacterial microbiomes after pathogen invasion may suggest a mechanism for the severity of WNS inM. lucifugus, but not for other bat species impacted by white-nose syndrome.

scholarly journals Sex and hibernaculum temperature predict survivorship in white-nose syndrome affected little brown myotis ( Myotis lucifugus )

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 140470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Grieneisen ◽  
Sarah A. Brownlee-Bouboulis ◽  
Joseph S. Johnson ◽  
DeeAnn M. Reeder
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Eastern North America ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Myotis Myotis ◽  
The Impact

White-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging infectious disease caused by the novel fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans , has devastated North American bat populations since its discovery in 2006. The little brown myotis, Myotis lucifugus , has been especially affected. The goal of this 2-year captive study was to determine the impact of hibernacula temperature and sex on WNS survivorship in little brown myotis that displayed visible fungal infection when collected from affected hibernacula. In study 1, we found that WNS-affected male bats had increased survival over females and that bats housed at a colder temperature survived longer than those housed at warmer temperatures. In study 2, we found that WNS-affected bats housed at a colder temperature fared worse than unaffected bats. Our results demonstrate that WNS mortality varies among individuals, and that colder hibernacula are more favourable for survival. They also suggest that female bats may be more negatively affected by WNS than male bats, which has important implications for the long-term survival of the little brown myotis in eastern North America.

scholarly journals Range-Wide Genetic Analysis of Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) Populations: Estimating the Risk of Spread of White-Nose Syndrome

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. e0128713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten J. Vonhof ◽  
Amy L. Russell ◽  
Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Little Brown Bat

scholarly journals Temporal Changes in Body Mass and Body Condition of Cave-Hibernating Bats During Staging and Swarming

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Lacki ◽  
Luke E. Dodd ◽  
Rickard S. Toomey ◽  
Steven C. Thomas ◽  
Zachary L. Couch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Fungal Distribution ◽  
Little Brown Bats

Abstract The rapid colonization of the Pseudogymnoascus destructans fungus across cave systems in eastern North America and the associated bat mortalities (white-nose syndrome; WNS), necessitates studies of cave-hibernating bats that remain unaffected by, or in close proximity to, the leading edge of the fungal distribution to provide baseline predisturbance data from which to assess changes due to fungal effects. Studies of the physiological ecology of cave-hibernating bats during the spring staging and autumn swarming seasons are few, and an understanding of patterns in body condition of bats associated with entry into and emergence from hibernation is incomplete. We sampled bats at the entrance to a cave in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, during swarming and staging, prior to (2011 and 2012), concurrent with (2013), and following (2014) the arrival of the WNS fungus. We evaluated seasonal and annual changes in body mass and body condition of bats entering and leaving the cave. We captured 1,232 bats of eight species. Sex ratios of all species were male-biased. Capture success was substantially reduced in 2014, following the second winter after arrival of the WNS fungus. Significant temporal variation in body mass and body mass index was observed for little brown bats Myotis lucifugus, northern long-eared bats M. septentrionalis, and tri-colored bats Perimyotis subflavus, but not Indiana bats M. sodalis. Little brown bats and northern long-eared bats demonstrated significant increases in mean body mass index in 2014; this pattern likely reflected a relatively better body condition in bats that survived exposure to the WNS fungus. Most species demonstrated highest body mass and body mass index values in late swarming compared with other sampling periods, with tri-colored bats showing the greatest percent increase in body mass (42.5%) and body mass index (42.9%) prior to entering hibernation. These data indicate significant intraspecific variation in body condition of cave-hibernating bat species, both among years and between the seasons of autumn swarming and spring staging. We suggest this variation is likely to have implications for the relative vulnerability of species to WNS infection across the distribution of the Pseudogymnoascus fungus.

The cutaneous microbiota of bats has in vitro antifungal activity against the white nose pathogen

2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Grisnik ◽  
Olivia Bowers ◽  
Andrew J Moore ◽  
Benjamin F Jones ◽  
Joshua R Campbell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Bacterial Assemblage ◽  
Operational Taxonomic Units ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Microbial Assemblage ◽  
The Usa ◽  
High Throughput Dna Sequencing

ABSTRACT Since its introduction into the USA, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the fungal pathogen of white-nose syndrome, has killed millions of bats. Recently, bacteria capable of inhibiting the growth of Pd have been identified within bat microbial assemblages, leading to increased interest in elucidating bacterial assemblage-pathogen interactions. Our objectives were to determine if bat cutaneous bacteria have antifungal activity against Pd, and correlate differences in the bat cutaneous microbiota with the presence/absence of Pd. We hypothesized that the cutaneous microbiota of bats is enriched with antifungal bacteria, and that the skin assemblage will correlate with Pd status. To test this, we sampled bat microbiota, adjacent roost surfaces and soil from Pd positive caves to infer possible overlap of antifungal taxa, we tested these bacteria for bioactivity in vitro, and lastly compared bacterial assemblages using both amplicon and shotgun high-throughput DNA sequencing. Results suggest that the presence of Pd has an inconsistent influence on the bat cutaneous microbial assemblage across sites. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that corresponded with cultured antifungal bacteria were present within all sample types but were significantly more abundant on bat skin relative to the environment. Additionally, the microbial assemblage of Pd negative bats was found to have more OTUs that corresponded to antifungal taxa than positive bats, suggesting an interaction between the fungal pathogen and cutaneous microbial assemblage.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document