Transcript Fungi on European Bats - National Speleological Society

European Observations of
Fungi on Bats
Paul Cryan1 and David Blehert2
1USGS
Fort Collins Science Center
2USGS National Wildlife Health Center
Meeting on WNS at the
1st International Symposium on Bat Migration, Berlin,
Germany - January 2009
Photo courtesy of Christian Voigt, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research
Reports at Berlin Meeting
• Bats with fungal growth:
– Observations mostly from past few years, but
literature records from at least 1983 in Germany
– No associated mass mortality observed
– Usually species of Myotis
– Roosts tend to be very humid
– White growth most apparent in late winter
– White fuzz disappears from bats taken out of
hibernacula and bats quickly groom it off after
arousing from hibernation
Winter 2009: European Countries where Bats with
White Noses have Been Reported
(Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, France)
Map: Paul Cryan
WNS: A European Connection?
Hungary
Switzerland
Photo: Tamas Gorfol
Netherlands
Photo: Anne Jifke-Haarsma
Romania
Photo: Szilard Bucs
Similarity of European and North American
Fungi Sampled from Bats
• Microscopic images
show that some fungi
sampled from bats in
Europe have same
unique* morphology as
Geomyces destructans
• Preliminary and limited
genetic analyses
suggest that certain
European fungal
isolates from bats may
also be G. destructans
*curved conidia: Gargas et al. 2009
Photo courtesy of USGS
National Wildlife Health Center
Photo courtesy of:
Ludwig E. Hoelzle, University of Zurich
Fabio Bontadina, Institute of Ecology and
Evolution, Conservation Biology, Bern, Switzerland
If Geomyces destructans Occurs
in Europe, Why No Mortality?
• Hibernating groups of bats in Europe tend to
be much smaller than eastern North America
– Density dependence of disease transmission or
behavioral links to mortality (e.g., disturbance of
roost mates during excessive grooming)?
– Past exposure of populations (resistance)?
• Something in cave ecosystems may limit its
virulence in Europe (hypovirulence)
Why the European Connection is
Important
• Understanding the epidemiology of WNS in North
America…is Geomyces destructans an
invasive/exotic species?
• If the Geomyces destructans is endemic to Europe,
evidence for past exposure of surviving bats on that
continent may be telling of what is to come for bats in
North America.
• If Geomyces destructans does not already occur in
caves and mines of Europe where bats hibernate, we
want to make sure that it stays that way.
Investigating Fungi Associated with Bats in Europe
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Germany
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Switzerland
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Babes-Bolyai University: Szilárd Bücs
Hungary
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Gruppo Italiano Ricerca Chirotteri: Marco Riccucci
Università degli Studi di Torino: Giovanna Cristina Varese
Romania
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Zoological Society of London/Institute of Zoology: Kate Jones, Andrew Cunningham, Trent Garner
Bat Conservation Trust: Amy Coyte, Kate Barlow, Sarah Ford
UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Matt Hartley
Natural England: Tony Mitchell-Jones
EUROBATS: Tony Hutson
Italy
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CBS Fungal Biodiversity Centre: Professor de Hoog
Dutch Wildlife Health Centre
Universiteit Leiden: Anne-Jifke Haarsma
Dutch Mammal Society: Erik Korsten
United Kingdom
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Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Conservation Biology, Bern, Switzerland: Fabio Bontadina
Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Zurich: Ludwig E. Hoelzle
Netherlands
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Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research: Gudrun Wibbelt
Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie: Hans-Peter Seid
Tolna County Nature Conservation Foundation: Tamás Görföl
Czech Republic
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Czech Bat Conservation Trust, National Museum, Prague Jiri Gaisler, Tomas Bartonicka